COMPARE · Data as of August 24, 2026
HRL vs HSY
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. HRL scored 47.7, HSY scored 66.2 — HSY leads.
Compare another set
HRL
Hormel Foods Corporation
47.7
$24.09 · $13.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
18.5
HSY leads
HSY
The Hershey Company
66.2
$189.94 · $38.2B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestHSY25.9x
- Fastest growthHSY+7.7%
- Strongest balance sheetHRL0.04
- Highest qualityHSY82 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueHSY-13%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
HRL
stronger →← stronger
HSY
59
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
82
56
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
76
33
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
47
HSY is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
HRL
HSY
$693mC+
FCF
$2.2bB
+2.5%C
Rev
+7.7%B
0.04A
D/E
1.30C+
28.0xC+
P/E
25.9xC+
1.68C+
PEG
1.06B+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
HRL
HSY
26% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
13% below
~9%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~7%/yr
-22%
1-yr DCF upside
-3%
-21%
5-yr DCF upside
+15%
-19%
10-yr DCF upside
+46%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
The companies
HRLHormel Foods Corporation
Why now
Packaged Foods · market cap $13.3b. 17% off the 52-week high of $29.10. 8 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $27.25 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
FCF converts 148% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Dividend payout 137% of earnings on a 4.9% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. Net margin 3.8% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE 6% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
HSYThe Hershey Company
Why now
Confectioners · market cap $38.2b. Down 21% from 52-week high of $239.48 — deep drawdown territory. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $205.52 (implying +8% upside).
Moat
Net margin 12% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 33% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 150% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where HRL and HSY diverge
On the headline score the gap is 18.5 points in favor of HSY. The widest single difference is Quality, where HSY leads by 22.6 points.
- QualityHRL 59.1 · HSY 81.7HSY +22.6
- GrowthHRL 56.2 · HSY 75.9HSY +19.7
- ValueHRL 32.6 · HSY 46.9HSY +14.3
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.