BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. Has $22.19 Million Stock Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. cut its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 55.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 120,682 shares of the company’s stock after selling 147,327 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $22,185,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 218.2% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in Hershey during the first quarter worth $29,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Hershey during the second quarter worth $29,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY traded up $1.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $193.06. 1,316,082 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,794,822. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market cap of $39.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 0.36. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $192.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $193.17. The Hershey Company has a 52 week low of $178.82 and a 52 week high of $219.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 45.36% and a net margin of 16.76%. Hershey’s revenue was down 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.01 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 9.59 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $192.00 to $191.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on Hershey from $237.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Hershey from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Argus cut Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $179.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, June 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $202.79.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 34,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,531,729.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total transaction of $107,153.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $644,912.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 34,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,531,729.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $667,793 over the last quarter. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.