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HSY or MDLZ or UL
Which Stock Would AI Choose? The Hershey Company (HSY) vs. Mondelez International (MDLZ) vs. Unilever PLC (UL) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HSY leads with strong recent momentum, posting over 20% YTD gains amid resilient demand for confectionery and salty snacks.
- MDLZ offers a compelling dividend yield around 3.5% but trails peers with modest 5% YTD returns due to cocoa cost pressures.
- UL provides stability with a diversified portfolio across personal care and foods, showing low beta and steady 2-3% YTD performance.
- HSY trades at a premium P/E over 50x, reflecting growth expectations, while MDLZ and UL appear more attractively valued under 30x.
- All three benefit from defensive consumer staples positioning, but HSY shows superior relative strength in recent market activity.
Introduction
This stock comparison examines HSY, MDLZ, and UL, three prominent consumer staples companies with exposure to snacks, confectionery, and household essentials. These firms offer defensive qualities amid economic uncertainty, appealing to income-focused investors and traders seeking relative stability. By analyzing recent performance, valuations, and market positioning, this article highlights key contrasts in momentum, risk profiles, and growth drivers, aiding decisions in the current volatile environment.
HSY Overview and Recent Performance
The Hershey Company (HSY) manufactures confectionery, chocolate, and salty snacks, with iconic brands like Hershey's, Reese's, and SkinnyPop. Operating primarily in North America but exporting to 65 countries, it benefits from strong brand loyalty and pricing power. In recent market activity, HSY shares have gained over 20% YTD and 24% in the past three months, outperforming the S&P 500. Sentiment has improved due to robust demand, expansions into salty snacks, and analyst upgrades, despite elevated cocoa costs and high valuations prompting a consensus Hold rating. Trading around $219 with a market cap of $44B, P/E of 50x, and 2.6% yield, it reflects optimism for 2026 earnings growth.
MDLZ Overview and Recent Performance
Mondelez International (MDLZ) is a global snacking leader with brands like Oreo, Cadbury, and Ritz, spanning chocolate, biscuits, and gum across 150 countries. Its diversified portfolio mitigates single-category risks. Recent weeks have seen modest 5% YTD gains for MDLZ shares, around $57 with a $73B market cap, pressured by record cocoa prices impacting margins despite 9% revenue growth in Q4. Strategic pricing, acquisitions like Evirth, and AI efficiencies have supported adjusted EPS beats, but cautious 2026 outlooks temper enthusiasm. P/E stands at 30x with a 3.5% yield, attracting value-oriented investors amid mixed analyst views.
UL Overview and Recent Performance
Unilever PLC (UL) produces fast-moving consumer goods in beauty, personal care, home care, and foods, with brands in hair care, soaps, and more across Asia Pacific, Africa, Americas, and Europe. Its broad exposure provides resilience. UL shares hover near $66, up about 2% YTD with a $145B market cap, reflecting steady performance amid short-term weakness like 5% weekly dips. Recent partnerships for digital innovation and product launches bolster sentiment, though competition and market pressures persist. With a P/E of 22x and 3.3% yield, it appeals for stability, supported by low beta of 0.26.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
HSY, MDLZ, and UL operate in consumer staples, but differ in focus: HSY emphasizes North American confectionery/salty snacks, MDLZ global snacks/biscuits, and UL diversified care/hygiene. Growth drivers include HSY's brand expansions and MDLZ's emerging markets, versus UL's prestige beauty. Recent momentum favors HSY (20%+ YTD), over MDLZ (5%) and UL (2%). Risks: cocoa volatility hits HSY/MDLZ harder than UL's broader base. Valuation sensitivity shows HSY at 50x P/E (premium for growth), MDLZ 30x, UL 22x. Sentiment leans positive for HSY via upgrades, while peers face cost scrutiny.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors HSY due to its superior trend consistency, outperformance in recent weeks, and catalysts like salty snacks growth amid defensive demand. While MDLZ and UL offer value and stability, HSY's relative positioning suggests higher probability of near-term upside, though premiums warrant caution.
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 whileMDLZ’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and UL’s FA Score reflects 0 green FA rating(s).
- HSY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- MDLZ’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- UL’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 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 MDLZ’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and UL’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HSY’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- MDLZ’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- UL’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
HSY (@Food: Specialty/Candy) experienced а -1.88% price change this week, while MDLZ (@Food: Specialty/Candy) price change was +2.54% , and UL (@Household/Personal Care) price fluctuated +5.21% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food: Specialty/Candy industry was +1.04%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.63%, and the average quarterly price growth was +4.29%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +2.76%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.20%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.38%.
Reported Earning Dates
HSY is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
MDLZ is expected to report earnings on Apr 28, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food: Specialty/Candy (+1.04% 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.
@Household/Personal Care (+2.76% weekly)Household/Personal Care companies sell products for home cleaning and/or personal hygiene and grooming purposes. Products of this industry include detergents, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fabric conditioners and infant care fragrances. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive are some of the biggest names in the business. A lot of the products become a necessary part of people’s daily routine, and therefore the industry is relatively less vulnerable to macroeconomic downturns. At the same time, product quality, consumer safety, and ease of use are extremely critical factors for a company to survive competition and earn recognition in this industry.
| HSY | MDLZ | UL | |
| Capitalization | 41B | 75.7B | 126B |
| EBITDA | 1.94B | 4.97B | 11.3B |
| Gain YTD | 11.901 | 10.553 | -10.115 |
| P/E Ratio | 46.62 | 31.22 | 19.32 |
| Revenue | 11.7B | 38.5B | 59.8B |
| Total Cash | 926M | N/A | N/A |
| Total Debt | 5.74B | 21.8B | N/A |
HSY | MDLZ | UL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 5 | 19 | 51 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 36 Fair valued | 27 Undervalued | 40 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 65 | 72 | 79 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 45 | 71 | 96 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 49 | 53 | 77 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 7 | 20 | 80 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 85 | 85 |
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.
MDLZ's Valuation (27) in the Food Major Diversified industry is in the same range as HSY (36) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is in the same range as UL (40) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that MDLZ's stock grew similarly to HSY’s and similarly to UL’s over the last 12 months.
HSY's Profit vs Risk Rating (65) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry is in the same range as MDLZ (72) in the Food Major Diversified industry, and is in the same range as UL (79) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MDLZ’s and similarly to UL’s over the last 12 months.
HSY's SMR Rating (45) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry is in the same range as MDLZ (71) in the Food Major Diversified industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for UL (96) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MDLZ’s and somewhat faster than UL’s over the last 12 months.
HSY's Price Growth Rating (49) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry is in the same range as MDLZ (53) in the Food Major Diversified industry, and is in the same range as UL (77) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MDLZ’s and similarly to UL’s over the last 12 months.
HSY's P/E Growth Rating (7) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry is in the same range as MDLZ (20) in the Food Major Diversified industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for UL (80) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MDLZ’s and significantly faster than UL’s over the last 12 months.
| HSY | MDLZ | UL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 66% | 1 day ago 38% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 48% | 1 day ago 28% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 45% | 1 day ago 47% | N/A |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 48% | 1 day ago 56% | 1 day ago 40% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 55% | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 41% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 48% | 1 day ago 45% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 42% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 54% | 11 days ago 49% | 10 days ago 41% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 65% | 1 day ago 59% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 57% | 1 day ago 49% | 1 day ago 36% |
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MDLZ and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, MDLZ has been loosely correlated with GIS. These tickers have moved in lockstep 65% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if MDLZ jumps, then GIS could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To MDLZ | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDLZ | 100% | -0.15% | ||
| GIS - MDLZ | 65% Loosely correlated | -1.52% | ||
| CAG - MDLZ | 59% Loosely correlated | -2.38% | ||
| CPB - MDLZ | 58% Loosely correlated | -1.73% | ||
| KHC - MDLZ | 58% Loosely correlated | -0.90% | ||
| MKC - MDLZ | 58% Loosely correlated | +4.41% | ||
More | ||||
UL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UL has been loosely correlated with PG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 64% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if UL jumps, then PG could also see price increases.