The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Auxier Asset Management

Auxier Asset Management cut its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 3.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,110 shares of the company’s stock after selling 400 shares during the period. Auxier Asset Management’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,042,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its holdings in Hershey by 218.2% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Hershey during the first quarter worth about $29,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Hershey by 55.0% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Stock Down 0.1 %

HSY stock opened at $195.23 on Friday. The Hershey Company has a one year low of $178.82 and a one year high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a fifty day moving average of $196.30 and a 200-day moving average of $194.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.48 billion, a PE ratio of 19.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 0.37.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.17). The business had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.30 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 16.76% and a return on equity of 45.36%. Hershey’s revenue for the quarter was down 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 9.5 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. Hershey’s payout ratio is 54.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HSY has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $179.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, June 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Hershey from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $205.00 to $195.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, August 12th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Hershey from $237.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total transaction of $107,153.46. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $644,912.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.17, for a total transaction of $107,153.46. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $644,912.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total transaction of $286,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 34,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,531,729.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $667,793. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.