Boston Trust Walden Corp Trims Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Boston Trust Walden Corp trimmed its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 0.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 276,134 shares of the company’s stock after selling 721 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned about 0.14% of Hershey worth $46,763,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hershey by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 262 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of HSY opened at $147.67 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $166.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $181.87. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $146.48 and a 1 year high of $211.92. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $29.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.71%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 24th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Citigroup lowered their price target 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. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $169.79.

About Hershey

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.