First National Trust Co Sells 63 Shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

First National Trust Co lessened its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,127 shares of the company’s stock after selling 63 shares during the quarter. First National Trust Co’s holdings in Hershey were worth $600,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 55.0% in the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY lifted its position in Hershey by 0.8% during the third quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 7,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,411,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,673 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the company’s stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 4,067 shares of the company’s stock worth $748,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on HSY shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Hershey from $191.00 to $199.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Hershey in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a “sell” rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America lowered their price target on Hershey from $200.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Hershey from $205.00 to $183.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $189.33.

Hershey Stock Performance

Hershey stock opened at $184.45 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.85. The company has a market capitalization of $37.31 billion, a PE ratio of 21.25, a P/E/G ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $188.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $192.10. The Hershey Company has a fifty-two week low of $171.67 and a fifty-two week high of $211.92.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.97%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio is 63.13%.

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.