Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 239 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its holdings in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,351 shares of the company’s stock after selling 239 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Hershey were worth $1,429,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Hershey by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 972,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $186,571,000 after buying an additional 389,404 shares in the last quarter. Woodstock Corp lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 34.8% in the 4th quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 6,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,780 shares during the last quarter. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,939,000. Ethos Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 59.8% in the 4th quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 61.9% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 120,159 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,052,000 after purchasing an additional 45,936 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $169.87 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.38 billion, a PE ratio of 15.58, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $164.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $173.67. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $140.13 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. Equities analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is currently 50.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on HSY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $150.00 to $134.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Bernstein Bank decreased their price objective on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $162.50.

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.