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HSY or KO or PM
Which Stock Would AI Choose? The Hershey Company (HSY) vs. The Coca-Cola Company (KO) vs. Philip Morris International (PM) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HSY leads with robust YTD gains around 20%, driven by salty snacks growth and upward earnings revisions, though trading at a premium P/E of approximately 50x.
- KO shows steady performance with 11% YTD returns, bolstered by a 4% dividend increase and resilient revenue in recent quarters.
- PM offers a compelling 3.5% dividend yield but faces recent pressure with shares down amid earnings reactions and market volatility.
- All three consumer staples stocks demonstrate defensive qualities, with HSY excelling in momentum and KO in stability during recent market activity.
- Valuation contrasts highlight PM's relative attractiveness at a P/E near 23x versus peers.
- AI-driven analysis favors momentum leaders like HSY in trending conditions.
Introduction
Consumer staples stocks like HSY, KO, and PM offer stability amid market volatility, appealing to defensive investors and traders seeking reliable dividends and relative performance. This comparison evaluates their business models, recent momentum, and positioning in the current environment, where earnings revisions and sector rotations influence sentiment. Long-term holders may prioritize dividend aristocrats, while short-term traders focus on price trends and analyst upgrades. Drawing from sources like Yahoo Finance and Reuters, the analysis highlights key contrasts in growth drivers and risk profiles for informed decision-making in stock comparison strategies.
HSY Overview and Recent Performance
The Hershey Company (HSY), a leading confectionery giant, manufactures chocolate, snacks, and pantry staples, commanding a strong U.S. market share through brands like Reese's and Kit Kat. In recent market activity, HSY shares have surged, posting YTD returns near 20% and quarterly gains up to 30%, outperforming the S&P 500. Momentum stems from salty snacks segment expansion, including the LesserEvil acquisition, and Q4 2025 earnings beats with 30%+ EPS growth outlook for 2026. Analysts have raised targets, citing 18.6% earnings estimate increases and a 2.7% dividend yield. Sentiment remains positive despite cocoa cost pressures, supported by pricing power and diversified growth.
KO Overview and Recent Performance
The Coca-Cola Company (KO), the world's largest nonalcoholic beverage firm, markets iconic brands like Coke across 200+ countries, emphasizing volume growth and pricing discipline. Recent weeks have seen KO deliver 11% YTD returns and a 12.5% monthly rally earlier, outpacing its industry amid resilient demand. Key drivers include a 64th consecutive dividend hike of 4%, Q4 2025 strength, and modest EPS estimate upticks. Trading near 52-week highs previously, KO benefits from global brand investment and execution in a complex macro backdrop, maintaining stability with a forward P/E around 25x.
PM Overview and Recent Performance
Philip Morris International (PM) focuses on tobacco and smoke-free products like IQOS and ZYN, operating in 180+ countries. Recent performance shows YTD gains of about 8%, with shares pulling back amid Q4 earnings reactions and delisting concerns, down 3-5% in sessions. Despite this, PM boasts a 3.5% dividend yield and P/E near 23x, supported by reduced-risk product shifts and revenue alignment. Analyst sentiment notes multi-year strength, though short-term volatility from regulatory and earnings factors tempers momentum compared to peers.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
HSY, KO, and PM operate in consumer staples but diverge in models: HSY's confectionery/snacks emphasize U.S. innovation; KO's beverages leverage global scale; PM transitions to smoke-free amid regulatory risks. Growth drivers contrast HSY's 30% EPS acceleration and salty snacks vs. KO's steady volume/pricing and PM's IQOS momentum. Recent momentum favors HSY (20%+ YTD) over KO (11%) and PM (8%). Risks include commodity costs for HSY/KO, regulation for PM. PM leads valuation sensitivity at 23x P/E with highest yield (3.5%), while HSY trades premium. Market sentiment tilts to defensive stability, with HSY gaining analyst favor.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently leans toward HSY based on superior trend consistency, recent momentum exceeding 20% YTD, and strong earnings catalysts like 30% EPS growth projections. While KO offers stability and PM valuation edge, HSY's relative positioning in consumer staples rotations suggests higher probability of near-term outperformance amid volatility.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
HSY’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileKO’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and PM’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- HSY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- KO’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- PM’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
HSY’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KO’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s), and PM’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HSY’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- KO’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 7 bearish.
- PM’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
HSY (@Food: Specialty/Candy) experienced а -4.78% price change this week, while KO (@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic) price change was -2.23% , and PM (@Tobacco) price fluctuated -1.66% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food: Specialty/Candy industry was -2.68%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.45%, and the average quarterly price growth was +1.01%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Beverages: Non-Alcoholic industry was -0.77%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.88%, and the average quarterly price growth was +2073.90%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Tobacco industry was -1.34%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.47%, and the average quarterly price growth was -9.25%.
Reported Earning Dates
HSY is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
KO is expected to report earnings on Apr 28, 2026.
PM is expected to report earnings on Apr 22, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food: Specialty/Candy (-2.68% weekly)A specialty/candy manufacturer specializes in one or more of the following: chocolate, candies, pasta, condiments, seasonings, among other items. Hershey Company, McCormick & Company and J.M. Smucker Company are some of the major firms in this segment. Demand for this industry’s products comes from both institutions/restaurants as well as households.
@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic (-0.77% weekly)Non-alcoholic drinks include traces of alcohol or low alcohol content or without alcohol or alcohol removed. Functional Beverages, Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSDs), Sports Drinks, Fruit Beverages, and Bottled Water are some common types of non-alcoholic beverages. The largest segment in this market is soft drinks (think Pepsi and Coke). Many established companies in this space have also been stepping up production of low to zero-calorie varieties in recent years, to cater to a rising number of health-conscious consumers. Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico Inc, Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. and Monster Beverage Corporation are some major non-alcoholic beverage makers.
@Tobacco (-1.34% weekly)The industry is engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products like cigarettes. In 2017, tobacco companies spent an estimated $9.36 billion marketing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the U.S. – an amount that translates to more than $25 million each day (according to a CDC report). Philip Morris International Inc., Altria Group Inc., and British American Tobacco plc are some major cigar makers. In recent times, vaping or the use of e-cigarette (does not burn tobacco) is gaining momentum – several established cigarette makers are trying to expand their footprint in this new market.
| HSY | KO | PM | |
| Capitalization | 39B | 326B | 246B |
| EBITDA | 1.94B | 18.7B | 17.5B |
| Gain YTD | 6.547 | 9.084 | -0.749 |
| P/E Ratio | 44.38 | 24.91 | 21.72 |
| Revenue | 11.7B | 47.9B | 40.6B |
| Total Cash | 926M | N/A | N/A |
| Total Debt | 5.74B | 45.5B | 48.8B |
HSY | KO | PM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 5 | 65 | 68 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 34 Fair valued | 41 Fair valued | 23 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 71 | 12 | 19 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 46 | 20 | 3 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 59 | 52 | 61 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 7 | 78 | 81 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
PM's Valuation (23) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as HSY (34) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is in the same range as KO (41) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that PM's stock grew similarly to HSY’s and similarly to KO’s over the last 12 months.
KO's Profit vs Risk Rating (12) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry is in the same range as PM (19) in the Tobacco industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for HSY (71) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry. This means that KO's stock grew similarly to PM’s and somewhat faster than HSY’s over the last 12 months.
PM's SMR Rating (3) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as KO (20) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for HSY (46) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry. This means that PM's stock grew similarly to KO’s and somewhat faster than HSY’s over the last 12 months.
KO's Price Growth Rating (52) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry is in the same range as HSY (59) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is in the same range as PM (61) in the Tobacco industry. This means that KO's stock grew similarly to HSY’s and similarly to PM’s over the last 12 months.
HSY's P/E Growth Rating (7) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry is significantly better than the same rating for KO (78) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for PM (81) in the Tobacco industry. This means that HSY's stock grew significantly faster than KO’s and significantly faster than PM’s over the last 12 months.
| HSY | KO | PM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 75% | 2 days ago 68% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 42% | 2 days ago 55% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 43% | 2 days ago 48% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 40% | 2 days ago 55% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 35% | 2 days ago 50% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 31% | 2 days ago 51% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 64% | 10 days ago 39% | 10 days ago 57% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 30% | 3 days ago 48% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 70% | 2 days ago 15% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 57% | 2 days ago 21% | 2 days ago 34% |
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