Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Receives “Sector Perform” Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada

Hershey (NYSE:HSY)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating reaffirmed by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $185.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price suggests a potential downside of 9.28% from the company’s current price.

HSY has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, January 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $188.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Thursday. Argus raised shares of Hershey to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $194.84.

Hershey Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of NYSE HSY traded up $5.92 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $203.93. 611,828 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,765,759. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $187.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $184.90. The company has a market cap of $41.36 billion, a PE ratio of 30.45 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $204.22.

Insider Activity at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total value of $298,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,876,115.60. This trade represents a 4.36% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450 over the last quarter. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hershey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC raised its position in shares of Hershey by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $559,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Abacus Planning Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hershey by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $256,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. BSW Wealth Partners lifted its stake in Hershey by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $283,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bellevue Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 13.5% in the third quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hershey’s business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.

Hershey’s product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.