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

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $180.00 to $170.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Barclays cut their price objective on Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $172.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $171.79.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY opened at $150.54 on Friday. Hershey has a 52-week low of $147.60 and a 52-week high of $211.92. The company has a 50 day moving average of $169.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $183.26. The company has a market cap of $30.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.64%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HSY. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey in the third quarter worth $25,000. Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 61.7% in 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. bought a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.