Carret Asset Management LLC Sells 200 Shares of Hershey Company (The) $HSY

Carret Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 1.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 14,500 shares of the company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Carret Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Hershey were worth $2,406,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. bought a new stake in Hershey in the first quarter worth $28,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new stake in Hershey in the second quarter worth $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in Hershey in the first quarter worth $36,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the first quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in Hershey during the first quarter valued at about $44,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Down 3.1%

NYSE HSY opened at $174.70 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.53. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $186.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $175.95. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $208.03. The stock has a market cap of $35.42 billion, a PE ratio of 23.20, a PEG ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.26.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.23. Hershey had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 37.36%. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.27 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.52, for a total value of $281,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 56,819 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,654,698.88. This trade represents a 2.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on HSY shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Hershey from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Hershey from $175.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Hershey from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $177.67.

Hershey 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.