(Reuters) - Hershey Trust Co, the charitable trust which controls chocolate maker Hershey Co (N:HSY), said on Wednesday it would sell 4.5 million shares of Hershey's common stock.
The trust said it would sell 3 million Hershey's shares to Morgan Stanley (N:MS) and an additional 1.5 million shares to Hershey Company.
Hershey, the maker of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey's Kisses, said in a separate statement that it will buy the 1.5 million stock from the trust for $106 per share, or about $159 million.
Hershey's stock closed at $107.44 on Wednesday.
Hershey rejected a $23 billion bid last summer from Oreo cookie owner Mondelez (O:MDLZ), as the Hershey Trust, which can veto a deal, was embroiled in a row with its overseer that resulted in departures at the trust and Hershey's board.
Earlier this year, The Hershey Trust added former Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) partner James Katzman to its ranks.
The trust had also added Melissa Peeples-Fullmore, a Milton Hershey School alumnus and education professional, and Jan Loeffler Bergen, a trained social worker and chief executive officer of non-profit health provider Lancaster General Health as Hershey trustees.