Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Given New $200.00 Price Target at Bank of America

Hershey (NYSE:HSYGet Free Report) had its target price decreased by equities researchers at Bank of America from $220.00 to $200.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Bank of America‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 9.13% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Zacks Research cut shares of Hershey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Hershey from $220.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Hershey in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen raised Hershey from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $217.50.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Hershey

Hershey Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of HSY stock opened at $183.27 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $37.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.09. Hershey has a 12-month low of $160.07 and a 12-month high of $239.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $186.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $198.22.

Hershey (NYSE:HSYGet Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 9.12% and a return on equity of 28.98%. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.09 earnings per share. Hershey’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Hershey will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.43, for a total value of $260,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 54,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,485,753.85. This trade represents a 2.67% 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 hyperlink. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Hershey by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,067,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,469,855,000 after purchasing an additional 191,671 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of Hershey by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,106,431 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,657,189,000 after purchasing an additional 169,660 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Hershey by 1.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,253,041 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,356,681,000 after purchasing an additional 128,982 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,315,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $967,343,000 after buying an additional 124,464 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,831,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $876,434,000 after buying an additional 104,024 shares during the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Hershey

(Get Free Report)

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.

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Analyst Recommendations for Hershey (NYSE:HSY)

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