Mizuho Has Lowered Expectations for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its target price lowered by analysts at Mizuho from $170.00 to $140.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. Mizuho’s target price suggests a potential downside of 8.15% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on HSY. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Hershey in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group dropped their price target on Hershey from $189.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday. Finally, Bernstein Bank reduced their price target on shares of Hershey from $177.00 to $146.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $167.10.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of Hershey stock opened at $152.43 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $30.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $165.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $180.97. Hershey has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $211.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its 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 43.24% and a net margin of 16.17%. As a group, research analysts expect that Hershey will post 9.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,936. This represents a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hershey

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its stake in Hershey by 1.1% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,083,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 6.9% in the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 30,082 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,769,000 after buying an additional 1,952 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Hershey by 33.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,054 shares of the company’s stock worth $777,000 after buying an additional 1,005 shares during the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey during the third quarter worth $235,000. Finally, City Holding Co. lifted its stake in Hershey by 42.4% in the third quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 849 shares of the company’s stock valued at $163,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. 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.