COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
HSY vs MKC
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. HSY scored 65.9, MKC scored 57.1 — HSY leads.
Compare another set
HSY
The Hershey Company
65.9
$186.46 · $37.5B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
8.8
HSY leads
MKC
McCormick & Company, Incorporated
57.1
$55.41 · $14.9B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestMKC9.2x
- Fastest growthMKC+9.5%
- Strongest balance sheetMKC0.65
- Highest qualityHSY82 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueMKC-32%
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)
HSY
stronger →← stronger
MKC
82
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
74
76
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
43
46
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
58
HSY is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
HSY
MKC
$2.2bB
FCF
$970mC+
+7.7%B
Rev
+9.5%B
1.30C+
D/E
0.65B+
25.4xC+
P/E
9.2xA
1.07B+
PEG
2.19C
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
HSY
MKC
14% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
32% below
~6%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-4%/yr
-1%
1-yr DCF upside
+40%
+17%
5-yr DCF upside
+48%
+49%
10-yr DCF upside
+59%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
HSY
No notable signals flagged.
MKC
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
The companies
HSYThe Hershey Company
Why now
Confectioners · market cap $37.5b. Down 22% 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 $205.81 (implying +10% 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.
MKCMcCormick & Company, Incorporated
Why now
Packaged Foods · market cap $14.9b. Down 23% from 52-week high of $72.41 — deep drawdown territory. 13 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $60.62 (implying +9% upside).
Moat
Net margin 22% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 23% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
Value re-rating depends on a catalyst. Without one — analyst day, divestiture, margin recovery, capital return — the stock can stay cheap on these multiples for years.
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 HSY and MKC diverge
On the headline score the gap is 8.8 points in favor of HSY. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- GrowthHSY 75.9 · MKC 43.4HSY +32.5
- ValueHSY 46.1 · MKC 58.4MKC +12.3
- QualityHSY 81.7 · MKC 73.6HSY +8.1
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.