The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) CFO Steven E. Voskuil Sells 1,500 Shares of Stock

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.93, for a total value of $274,395.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 35,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,535,723.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY opened at $185.89 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $194.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $192.29. The company has a market cap of $37.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $178.82 and a 52-week high of $261.58.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 3rd. The company reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 18.13% and a return on equity of 50.15%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.96 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Hershey Company will post 9.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 17th were issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 16th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 54.31%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. First Financial Corp IN purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Highlander Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 125.3% during the fourth quarter. Highlander Capital Management LLC now owns 169 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSY has been the topic of several research reports. Edward Jones restated a “hold” rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $213.00 to $199.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $179.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, June 21st. Argus cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $240.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Hershey from $205.00 to $195.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $209.67.

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.