The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Acquired by Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI lifted its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 36.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 3,939 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,051 shares during the quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in Hershey were worth $665,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,635,390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $785,003,000 after acquiring an additional 247,675 shares during the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $738,000. Silver Coast Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Silver Coast Investments LLC now owns 3,898 shares of the company’s stock valued at $660,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. DJE Kapital AG acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at $1,040,000. Finally, Eliot Finkel Investment Counsel LLC lifted its position in Hershey by 36.2% during the fourth quarter. Eliot Finkel Investment Counsel LLC now owns 21,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,634,000 after buying an additional 5,700 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HSY opened at $176.33 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $35.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.18, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $211.92. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $160.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $176.75.

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

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.11%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HSY has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bernstein Bank reduced their target price on Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Piper Sandler downgraded Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $153.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $164.15.

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.