Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. KHC scored 26.1, HSY scored 60.7 — HSY leads.
Compare another set
KHC
The Kraft Heinz Company
Packaged Foods · Quality-Growth
26.1
$22.27 · $26.4B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
34.6
HSY leads
HSY
The Hershey Company
Confectioners · Quality-Growth
60.7
$162.74 · $32.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthHSY+4.4%
Strongest balance sheetKHC0.53
Highest qualityHSY82 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueKHC-45%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
KHC
stronger →← stronger
HSY
45
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
82
14
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
66
28
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
41
HSY is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
KHC
HSY
$3.8bB
FCF
$2.2bB
-3.5%D+
Rev
+4.4%C+
0.53B+
D/E
1.30C+
1.1xB
P/S
—
0.99B+
PEG
0.82B+
—
P/E
22.2xB
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
KHC
HSY
45% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
9% below
~-14%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~4%/yr
+99%
1-yr DCF upside
+5%
+81%
5-yr DCF upside
+10%
+59%
10-yr DCF upside
+18%
These two disagree on this pair: the Value pillar ranks cheapness against sector peers, while price-vs-fair-value is an absolute read. A name can be the better value in its sector and still the dearer one on cash flows.
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
The companies
KHCThe Kraft Heinz Company
Packaged Foods · $22.27 · beta 0.11
Why now
Packaged Foods · market cap $26.4b. Down 21% from 52-week high of $28.09 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.99 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 18 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $25.25 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
Turnaround / out-of-favor name — GAAP-unprofitable for now, so the durability case is forward-looking: it rests on a recovery (margin normalization, a cyclical upturn or restructuring) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than on current reported results.
Risk
Currently unprofitable (margin -13.6%) — path to GAAP profitability is the core thesis risk. Dividend payout 73% of earnings on a 7.1% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. ROE -9% 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
Confectioners · $162.74 · beta 0.09
Why now
Confectioners · market cap $32.7b. Down 32% from 52-week high of $239.48 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.82 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $202.19 (implying +24% 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.
Risk
Down 32% 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 KHC and HSY diverge
On the headline score the gap is 34.6 points in favor of HSY. The widest single difference is Growth, where HSY leads by 51.8 points.
GrowthKHC 14.1 · HSY 65.9HSY +51.8
QualityKHC 44.6 · HSY 82.4HSY +37.8
ValueKHC 28.3 · HSY 41.2HSY +12.9
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value 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.
Common questions
Is HSY or KHC the better stock?
HSY scores higher: HSY 60.7, KHC 26.1 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do HSY and KHC differ most?
The widest gap is growth, where HSY leads by 52 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. HSY leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are HSY and KHC scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.