Regency Capital Management Inc. DE Takes $2.25 Million Position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Regency Capital Management Inc. DE bought a new position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 12,217 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,246,000. Hershey accounts for about 1.4% of Regency Capital Management Inc. DE’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. LPL Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 10.0% during the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 320,680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,951,000 after buying an additional 29,246 shares during the last quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 179.4% in the 1st quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 6,958 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,353,000 after acquiring an additional 4,468 shares during the period. Prudential PLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 21.8% during the 4th quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 100,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,660,000 after purchasing an additional 17,890 shares in the last quarter. Bridgefront Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $972,000. Finally, Oak Harvest Investment Services acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the first quarter valued at $5,383,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total transaction of $286,245.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 34,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,531,729.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.83, for a total value of $286,245.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 34,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,531,729.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 538 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,238 shares in the company, valued at $644,912.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $191.75 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $196.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $193.95. The stock has a market cap of $38.78 billion, a PE ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.37. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $178.82 and a 52-week 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.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. Hershey had a net margin of 16.76% and a return on equity of 45.36%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.01 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 9.49 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, August 12th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Argus lowered Hershey from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Hershey from $237.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on Hershey from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $198.63.

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.