BTI vs. HSY: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at BTI and HSY, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
BTI trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, HSY is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | BTI | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | British American Tobacco p.l.c. | The Hershey Company |
| Country | United Kingdom | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| GICS Industry | Tobacco | Food Products |
| Market Capitalization | 126.68 billion USD | 36.50 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | April 14, 1980 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of BTI and HSY by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | BTI | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.30% | -3.97% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 41.47% | 7.45% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 28.77% | 18.20% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 52.60% | -9.37% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 6.14% | -3.26% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 48.89% | 6.32% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.86M | 1.72M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 4.13M | 1.78M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 19.94% | 30.92% |
| Beta | 0.30 | 0.25 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
BTI
6.40%
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 49.48%
- Q3
- 49.48%
- Median
- 7.92%
- Q1
- 5.28%
- Min
- 4.04%
BTI’s Return on Equity of 6.40% is on par with the norm for the Tobacco industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
HSY
33.77%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 27.15%
- Q3
- 15.66%
- Median
- 10.47%
- Q1
- 7.82%
- Min
- -2.46%
HSY’s Return on Equity of 33.77% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Food Products industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
BTI
12.06%
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 21.36%
- Q3
- 18.49%
- Median
- 11.05%
- Q1
- 6.80%
- Min
- 5.37%
BTI’s Net Profit Margin of 12.06% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Tobacco industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
HSY
13.54%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 18.44%
- Q3
- 9.92%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 4.13%
- Min
- -0.92%
A Net Profit Margin of 13.54% places HSY in the upper quartile for the Food Products industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
BTI
13.86%
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 14.35%
- Q3
- 12.68%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 10.58%
- Min
- 10.58%
An Operating Profit Margin of 13.86% places BTI in the upper quartile for the Tobacco industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
HSY
18.28%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 24.83%
- Q3
- 14.27%
- Median
- 9.73%
- Q1
- 6.26%
- Min
- -0.10%
An Operating Profit Margin of 18.28% places HSY in the upper quartile for the Food Products industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | BTI | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.40% | 33.77% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.70% | 11.51% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.06% | 13.54% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.86% | 18.28% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 83.38% | 40.13% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
BTI
0.87
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 3.20
- Q3
- 1.83
- Median
- 0.83
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.57
BTI’s Current Ratio of 0.87 aligns with the median group of the Tobacco industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
HSY
1.53
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 3.80
- Q3
- 2.40
- Median
- 1.61
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.55
HSY’s Current Ratio of 1.53 aligns with the median group of the Food Products industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
BTI
0.75
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 2.19
- Q3
- 2.19
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.01
BTI’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.75 is typical for the Tobacco industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
HSY
1.25
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 1.87
- Q3
- 0.90
- Median
- 0.48
- Q1
- 0.24
- Min
- 0.00
HSY’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Food Products industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.25. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
BTI
-11.45
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 36.48
- Q3
- 28.54
- Median
- 7.02
- Q1
- 6.32
- Min
- -11.45
BTI has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -11.45. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
HSY
15.93
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 70.39
- Q3
- 32.08
- Median
- 9.51
- Q1
- 4.55
- Min
- -1.69
HSY’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.93 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Food Products industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | BTI | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.87 | 1.53 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.55 | 0.85 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.75 | 1.25 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -11.45 | 15.93 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
BTI
5.57%
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 6.71%
- Q3
- 6.06%
- Median
- 5.48%
- Q1
- 3.91%
- Min
- 3.27%
BTI’s Dividend Yield of 5.57% is consistent with its peers in the Tobacco industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
HSY
3.04%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 7.43%
- Q3
- 4.12%
- Median
- 2.67%
- Q1
- 1.57%
- Min
- 0.00%
HSY’s Dividend Yield of 3.04% is consistent with its peers in the Food Products industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
BTI
57.82%
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 77.64%
- Q3
- 76.55%
- Median
- 50.14%
- Q1
- 47.08%
- Min
- 42.39%
BTI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 57.82% is within the typical range for the Tobacco industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
HSY
70.84%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 202.50%
- Q3
- 109.53%
- Median
- 67.28%
- Q1
- 39.33%
- Min
- 0.00%
HSY’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 70.84% is within the typical range for the Food Products industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | BTI | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 5.57% | 3.04% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 57.82% | 70.84% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
BTI
30.34
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 42.16
- Q3
- 36.45
- Median
- 20.93
- Q1
- 10.52
- Min
- 9.15
BTI’s P/E Ratio of 30.34 is within the middle range for the Tobacco industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
HSY
23.29
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 35.81
- Q3
- 22.88
- Median
- 17.13
- Q1
- 13.91
- Min
- 2.77
A P/E Ratio of 23.29 places HSY in the upper quartile for the Food Products industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
BTI
3.66
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 10.48
- Q3
- 5.39
- Median
- 3.32
- Q1
- 1.54
- Min
- 0.59
BTI’s P/S Ratio of 3.66 aligns with the market consensus for the Tobacco industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
HSY
3.16
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 1.86
- Median
- 1.14
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.12
HSY’s P/S Ratio of 3.16 is in the upper echelon for the Food Products industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
BTI
1.62
Tobacco Industry
- Max
- 4.76
- Q3
- 4.76
- Median
- 2.18
- Q1
- 1.70
- Min
- 1.06
BTI’s P/B Ratio of 1.62 is in the lower quartile for the Tobacco industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
HSY
7.45
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 5.01
- Q3
- 2.76
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- 0.52
At 7.45, HSY’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Food Products industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | BTI | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 30.34 | 23.29 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.66 | 3.16 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.62 | 7.45 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 10.81 | 19.57 |