Barclays Cuts Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Price Target to $170.00

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price objective lowered by Barclays from $180.00 to $170.00 in a research note released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on HSY. Citigroup dropped their target price on Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $176.42.

Hershey Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of HSY stock opened at $152.82 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $30.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.61, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.38. Hershey has a twelve month low of $150.31 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $171.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.39.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired 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% in the fourth 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. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position 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 acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hershey in the third quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.