Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price Down 3.1% – Time to Sell?

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) was down 3.1% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $150.31 and last traded at $150.53. 2,260,824 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 17% from the average daily volume of 1,934,763 shares. The stock had previously closed at $155.31.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $183.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. UBS Group cut shares of Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $226.00 to $209.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Hershey from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $182.21.

Hershey Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of $30.71 billion, a PE ratio of 17.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.38. The business’s fifty day moving average is $173.19 and its 200-day moving average is $185.04.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.61%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.13%.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% during the fourth 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. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth about $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, City State Bank lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 210.0% during the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Company 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.