Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Lowered to $146.00 at Bernstein Bank

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price cut by Bernstein Bank from $177.00 to $146.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning. They currently have a market perform rating on the stock.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $167.10.

Hershey Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE HSY opened at $145.96 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $165.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $181.22. Hershey has a one year low of $140.13 and a one year high of $211.92. The firm has a market cap of $29.53 billion, a PE ratio of 16.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.54.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.