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HSY vs. KHC: Hershey vs. Kraft Heinz Stock Comparison

How do Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) are both classified in the Packaged Foods & Meats sub-industry within the broader Food Products industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
Profile ItemHSYKHC
NameThe Hershey Company Common StockThe Kraft Heinz Company
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer StaplesConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupFood, Beverage & TobaccoFood, Beverage & Tobacco
GICS IndustryFood ProductsFood Products
GICS Sub-IndustryPackaged Foods & MeatsPackaged Foods & Meats
Market Capitalization35.79 billion USD29.13 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980July 6, 2015
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

HSY
KHC
GSPC
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
Total Return (1Y)3.76%7.82%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-0.13%-4.22%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)2.04%-3.33%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

HSY
KHC
GSPC
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)27.95%28.10%
Beta (5Y)0.070.11
Max Drawdown (5Y)-45.25%-41.69%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.48M16.72M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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HSY and KHC are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.020.13
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.030.18

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports a negative ROE of -8.95%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Hershey (HSY) reports 38.00%, ranking against industry peers normally.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

38.00%

HSY
38.00%
Max
32.02%
Q3
16.61%
Median
10.05%
Q1
4.10%
Min
-10.50%

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

-8.95%

Max
32.02%
Q3
16.61%
Median
10.05%
Q1
4.10%
KHC
-8.95%
Min
-10.50%
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their ROE against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports a negative net margin of -13.99%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Hershey (HSY) reports 14.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

14.63%

Max
24.83%
HSY
14.63%
Q3
11.22%
Median
5.94%
Q1
2.05%
Min
-11.49%

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

-13.99%

Max
24.83%
Q3
11.22%
Median
5.94%
Q1
2.05%
Min
-11.49%
KHC
-13.99%
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their net margin against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Hershey (HSY) at 25.55% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 16.47%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

25.55%

Max
34.91%
HSY
25.55%
Q3
17.57%
Median
11.06%
Q1
4.15%
Min
-15.06%

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

16.47%

Max
34.91%
Q3
17.57%
KHC
16.47%
Median
11.06%
Q1
4.15%
Min
-15.06%
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their operating margin against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
ROE (TTM)38.00%-8.95%
ROA (TTM)11.82%3.56%
Net Margin (TTM)14.63%-13.99%
Operating Margin (TTM)25.55%16.47%
Gross Margin (TTM)41.95%33.65%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Hershey (HSY) at 4.38% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at -3.50% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Neither side shows strong earnings momentum: Hershey (HSY) at -60.26% sits in the bottom EPS growth quartile, and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at -318.14% is weaker still, below its industry range.

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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
Revenue Growth (YoY)4.38%-3.50%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)3.92%-1.98%
EPS Growth (YoY)-60.26%-318.14%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-18.31%--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Hershey (HSY) at 1.24 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 1.02 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for KHC.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.24

Max
4.01
Q3
2.35
Median
1.53
HSY
1.24
Q1
1.02
Min
0.33

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.02

Max
4.01
Q3
2.35
Median
1.53
Q1
1.02
KHC
1.02
Min
0.33
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their current ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Hershey (HSY) at 1.11 and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 0.50 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.11

Max
2.19
HSY
1.11
Q3
1.11
Median
0.68
Q1
0.33
Min
0.00

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.50

Max
2.19
Q3
1.11
Median
0.68
KHC
0.50
Q1
0.33
Min
0.00
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.241.02
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.110.50
Net Debt / EBITDA1.522.98

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 6.32% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Hershey (HSY) at 3.23% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, KHC the richer one.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.23%

Max
9.38%
Q3
3.77%
HSY
3.23%
Median
1.76%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

6.32%

Max
9.38%
KHC
6.32%
Q3
3.77%
Median
1.76%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Hershey (HSY) at 64.77% and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 73.06% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

64.77%

Max
199.19%
Q3
81.03%
HSY
64.77%
Median
41.52%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

73.06%

Max
199.19%
Q3
81.03%
KHC
73.06%
Median
41.52%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
Dividend Yield (TTM)3.23%6.32%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)64.77%73.06%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Hershey (HSY) trades at 20.14 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) has no P/E ratio this period.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

20.14

Max
52.52
Q3
30.78
HSY
20.14
Median
18.76
Q1
12.77
Min
4.72

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

--

Max
52.52
Q3
30.78
Median
18.76
Q1
12.77
Min
4.72
KHC
--
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): KHC does not report P/E ratio, so it has no value marker; HSY is benchmarked against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 1.18 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Hershey (HSY) at 2.92 sits in the pricier quartile — HSY costs more per dollar of sales.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

2.92

Max
4.64
HSY
2.92
Q3
2.27
Median
1.17
Q1
0.52
Min
0.00

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.18

Max
4.64
Q3
2.27
KHC
1.18
Median
1.17
Q1
0.52
Min
0.00
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 0.81 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile relative to book while Hershey (HSY) at 7.34 prices above its industry range — a wide valuation gap against assets.

HSY

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

7.34

HSY
7.34
Max
6.35
Q3
3.07
Median
1.58
Q1
0.82
Min
0.00

KHC

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.81

Max
6.35
Q3
3.07
Median
1.58
Q1
0.82
KHC
0.81
Min
0.00
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Hershey (HSY) vs. Kraft Heinz (KHC): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC)
MetricHSYKHC
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.14--
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.921.18
P/B Ratio (MRQ)7.340.81
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)4.67%10.95%