Deutsche Bank AG Raises Stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)

Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 8.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 557,965 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 44,955 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG’s holdings in Hershey were worth $94,491,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Montag & Caldwell LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its position in Hershey by 248.0% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new position in Hershey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hershey Stock Up 0.5%

NYSE HSY opened at $171.00 on Monday. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.61 billion, a PE ratio of 15.69, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The business’s 50-day moving average is $168.20 and its 200 day moving average is $168.29.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.15. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.07 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.20%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on HSY shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Hershey from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group lowered their price target on Hershey from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays raised their price objective on Hershey from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Hershey from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Hershey from $178.00 to $175.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $161.40.

About Hershey

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.