Philadelphia Trust Co. Sells 266 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Philadelphia Trust Co. cut its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,709 shares of the company’s stock after selling 266 shares during the quarter. Philadelphia Trust Co.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $967,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 42.5% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $165.56 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $167.39 and a 200-day moving average of $171.29. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The company has a market cap of $33.51 billion, a PE ratio of 15.19, a P/E/G ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28.

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

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. DA Davidson reduced their price target on Hershey from $164.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on Hershey in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price target for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $162.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

About Hershey

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.