Hershey Company (The) $HSY Shares Sold by Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co lessened its stake in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY) by 29.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,500 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,000 shares during the quarter. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Hershey were worth $4,277,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, WHI TRUST Co LLC acquired a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Price Performance

NYSE:HSY opened at $194.19 on Friday. Hershey Company has a one year low of $154.37 and a one year high of $239.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.24. The stock has a market cap of $39.39 billion, a PE ratio of 36.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.07. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $197.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $198.45.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 9.12%.The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.09 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Hershey Company will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.452 per share. This represents a $5.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on HSY. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore raised Hershey from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $255.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $230.00 to $215.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $240.00 target price on shares of Hershey in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $218.06.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.10, for a total transaction of $291,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 57,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,198,599.50. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hershey Company Profile

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.