Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target Cut to $180.00 by Analysts at Mizuho

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective trimmed by Mizuho from $200.00 to $180.00 in a report released on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $202.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Hershey from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price target for the company from $230.00 to $205.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Hershey from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 14th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Hershey from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and cut their price target for the company from $195.00 to $182.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Finally, 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 for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $187.94.

Hershey Stock Performance

HSY stock opened at $193.68 on Monday. Hershey has a fifty-two week low of $168.16 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a market capitalization of $39.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.31, a PEG ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $180.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $188.69.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.83%. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC boosted its position in Hershey by 218.2% during the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position 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 bought a new stake in Hershey during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC boosted its position in Hershey by 71.9% during the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 251 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

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.