The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Acquired by Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC

Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 22.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,296 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $389,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $48,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position in Hershey by 61.7% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP grew its holdings in Hershey by 123.9% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on HSY shares. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $205.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group lowered shares of Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $226.00 to $209.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hershey has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $182.21.

Hershey Stock Performance

NYSE HSY opened at $151.75 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $173.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $185.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $150.31 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.61%. Hershey’s payout ratio is 63.13%.

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.