Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co Buys 2,025 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co increased its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 15.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,138 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,025 shares during the quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,564,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its position in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $162.50.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $169.87 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.58, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 19.83% and a return on equity of 44.77%. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Profile

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.