COMPARE · Data as of August 12, 2026
HSY vs MZTI
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. HSY scored 67.6, MZTI scored 65.5 — HSY leads.
Compare another set
HSY
The Hershey Company
67.6
$184.23 · $37.0B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
2.1
HSY leads
MZTI
The Marzetti Company
65.5
$115.90 · $3.2B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
HSY
stronger →← stronger
MZTI
82
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
83
76
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
60
50
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
56
MZTI is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
HSY
MZTI
$2.2bB
FCF
$248mC
+7.7%B
Rev
+2.8%C
1.30C+
D/E
0.04A
24.9xC+
P/E
18.2xB+
1.04B+
PEG
3.12D
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
HSY
MZTI
16% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
20% below
~6%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~0%/yr
+0%
1-yr DCF upside
+19%
+18%
5-yr DCF upside
+26%
+51%
10-yr DCF upside
+35%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
HSY
No notable signals flagged.
MZTI
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
The companies
HSYThe Hershey Company
Why now
Confectioners · market cap $37.0b. Down 23% 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 +12% 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.
MZTIThe Marzetti Company
Why now
Packaged Foods · market cap $3.2b. Down 39% from 52-week high of $190.96 — deep drawdown territory. 5 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $159.40 (implying +38% upside).
Moat
ROE 17% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 141% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Down 39% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
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 MZTI diverge
On the headline score the gap is 2.1 points in favour 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 · MZTI 59.9HSY +16.0
- ValueHSY 49.8 · MZTI 56.4MZTI +6.6
- QualityHSY 81.5 · MZTI 83.0level
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.