Occidental Asset Management LLC Sells 150 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Occidental Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 10.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,354 shares of the company’s stock after selling 150 shares during the period. Occidental Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the third quarter valued at $25,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in Hershey by 61.7% in 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 period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, City State Bank increased its stake in shares of Hershey by 210.0% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hershey Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of HSY opened at $152.82 on Friday. 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 Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $150.31 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $171.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $184.39. The firm has a market cap of $30.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group cut their price objective on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Hershey from $163.00 to $161.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $176.42.

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.