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HSY or MDLZ or WMT
Which Stock Would AI Choose? The Hershey Company (HSY) vs. Mondelez International (MDLZ) vs. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HSY leads YTD performance with over 20% gains, driven by earnings upgrades and salty snacks expansion, though trading at a premium P/E of around 50x.
- MDLZ shows modest YTD returns near 6%, facing cocoa cost pressures and weaker momentum, but offers a more reasonable P/E of about 29x.
- WMT delivers strong YTD growth of roughly 13%, bolstered by international sales and dividend hikes, with a market cap exceeding $1 trillion.
- All three exhibit defensive consumer staples traits, but WMT's scale provides stability amid recent market volatility.
- Recent weeks highlight HSY's momentum from partnerships like TogetherCocoa, contrasting MDLZ's sales forecast caution.
Introduction
This stock comparison evaluates HSY, MDLZ, and WMT in the consumer staples sector, focusing on their relative performance amid shifting commodity costs and consumer trends. These companies represent confectionery giants and a retail behemoth, offering insights into defensive investing during volatile markets. Traders seeking momentum and investors prioritizing stability will find value in analyzing their growth drivers, valuations, and recent market positioning for informed portfolio decisions.
HSY Overview and Recent Performance
The Hershey Company (HSY), a leading confectionery producer, has seen robust stock performance in recent market activity, with shares up over 20% YTD and around 27% over the past year. Trading near $217 with a market cap of approximately $44 billion, HSY benefits from analyst upgrades to Strong Buy and an 18.6% rise in current-year earnings estimates. Key influences include strategic partnerships via TogetherCocoa with firms like Lindt and Nestlé, alongside expansion into salty snacks. Sentiment remains positive despite long-term growth concerns from market pressures, supported by strong revenue in new categories.
MDLZ Overview and Recent Performance
Mondelez International (MDLZ), known for global snacks like Oreo and Cadbury, trades around $55 with a $70 billion market cap. Recent performance shows modest YTD gains of about 6%, lagging broader indices amid a 13% one-year decline. High cocoa prices and shifting consumer preferences have pressured shares, with muted 2026 sales forecasts due to price hikes deterring shoppers. Despite beating Q4 estimates, shares dipped post-earnings on weak demand signals. Analysts view it as 17.9% undervalued, highlighting resilience in emerging markets but vulnerability to input costs.
WMT Overview and Recent Performance
Walmart Inc. (WMT), the world's largest retailer, commands a $1 trillion-plus market cap with shares near $126. YTD returns exceed 13%, outpacing peers, fueled by international sales strength and strategic partnerships like Build-A-Bear. Recent dividend increases underscore financial health, though fintech challenges persist. In recent weeks, WMT has shown resilience with steady uptrends, benefiting from omnichannel growth and e-commerce gains. Positive analyst coverage, including Buy ratings, reflects confidence in its scale and consumer essentials dominance.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
HSY, MDLZ, and WMT operate in consumer staples but differ in business models: HSY and MDLZ focus on branded confectionery/snacks, vulnerable to cocoa volatility, while WMT leverages retail scale for diversified essentials. Growth drivers contrast: HSY's snack diversification vs. MDLZ's emerging markets and WMT's international/e-commerce push. Recent momentum favors HSY (20%+ YTD) over WMT (13%) and MDLZ (6%). Risk factors include commodity exposure for snack firms versus WMT's operational scale. Valuation sensitivity shows HSY at 50x P/E (premium), MDLZ at 29x (attractive), and WMT at 46x. Market sentiment tilts toward WMT's stability.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors WMT due to its trend consistency, massive scale providing downside protection, and positive catalysts like international growth amid consumer caution. While HSY shows stronger short-term momentum, WMT's relative positioning and lower sector-specific risks offer higher probability of outperformance in volatile conditions.
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 WMT’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- HSY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- MDLZ’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- WMT’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 MDLZ’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and WMT’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.
- WMT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
HSY (@Food: Specialty/Candy) experienced а +2.26% price change this week, while MDLZ (@Food: Specialty/Candy) price change was +2.69% , and WMT (@Discount Stores) price fluctuated +2.66% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food: Specialty/Candy industry was +2.89%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +0.38%, and the average quarterly price growth was +6.38%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Discount Stores industry was +0.71%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.87%, and the average quarterly price growth was +11.43%.
Reported Earning Dates
HSY is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
MDLZ is expected to report earnings on Apr 28, 2026.
WMT is expected to report earnings on May 14, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food: Specialty/Candy (+2.89% 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.
@Discount Stores (+0.71% weekly)Companies in the discount stores industry specialize in offering substantial discounts on a vast array of retail products. Some companies in this industry also operate general merchandise warehouse clubs. Products sold at discount stores are typically similar to those of any department store, but the pricing of the goods is generally much lower (and hence the name “discount”). Think Dollar General Corporation, Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. Many discount stores target low-income households and/or price-sensitive consumers as their potential market. Discount stores’ profitability could hinge on factors like competitive pricing, sufficient locations, healthy revenue per square foot, and effective advertisement. These store operators could have an edge over other retailers during financial crises or recessions, when many consumers could be looking for less expensive alternatives.
| HSY | MDLZ | WMT | |
| Capitalization | 42.7B | 75.8B | 1.03T |
| EBITDA | 1.94B | 4.97B | 46.5B |
| Gain YTD | 16.620 | 10.722 | 16.143 |
| P/E Ratio | 48.58 | 31.26 | 47.30 |
| Revenue | 11.7B | 38.5B | 713B |
| Total Cash | 926M | N/A | N/A |
| Total Debt | 5.74B | 21.8B | 68.4B |
HSY | MDLZ | WMT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 5 | 19 | 22 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 38 Fair valued | 28 Undervalued | 92 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 61 | 71 | 6 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 45 | 71 | 99 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 49 | 53 | 20 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 5 | 18 | 33 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 85 | 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.
MDLZ's Valuation (28) in the Food Major Diversified industry is in the same range as HSY (38) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for WMT (92) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that MDLZ's stock grew similarly to HSY’s and somewhat faster than WMT’s over the last 12 months.
WMT's Profit vs Risk Rating (6) in the Specialty Stores industry is somewhat better than the same rating for HSY (61) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for MDLZ (71) in the Food Major Diversified industry. This means that WMT's stock grew somewhat faster than HSY’s and somewhat faster than MDLZ’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 WMT (99) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MDLZ’s and somewhat faster than WMT’s over the last 12 months.
WMT's Price Growth Rating (20) in the Specialty Stores industry is in the same range as HSY (49) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for MDLZ (53) in the Food Major Diversified industry. This means that WMT's stock grew similarly to HSY’s and somewhat faster than MDLZ’s over the last 12 months.
HSY's P/E Growth Rating (5) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry is in the same range as MDLZ (18) in the Food Major Diversified industry, and is in the same range as WMT (33) in the Specialty Stores industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MDLZ’s and similarly to WMT’s over the last 12 months.
| HSY | MDLZ | WMT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 66% | 1 day ago 63% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 66% | 1 day ago 45% | 1 day ago 28% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 45% | 1 day ago 53% | 1 day ago 67% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 48% | 1 day ago 56% | 1 day ago 73% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 59% | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 55% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 47% | 1 day ago 53% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 64% | 1 day ago 53% | 1 day ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 9 days ago 54% | 9 days ago 49% | 21 days ago 33% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 60% | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 33% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 57% | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 30% |
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HSY and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, HSY has been loosely correlated with KHC. These tickers have moved in lockstep 58% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if HSY jumps, then KHC could also see price increases.
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% | +0.44% | ||
| GIS - MDLZ | 65% Loosely correlated | +0.41% | ||
| CAG - MDLZ | 59% Loosely correlated | -0.19% | ||
| CPB - MDLZ | 58% Loosely correlated | +0.53% | ||
| KHC - MDLZ | 58% Loosely correlated | +1.39% | ||
| MKC - MDLZ | 58% Loosely correlated | +1.84% | ||
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WMT and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WMT has been loosely correlated with COST. These tickers have moved in lockstep 66% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if WMT jumps, then COST could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To WMT | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | 100% | +1.47% | ||
| COST - WMT | 66% Loosely correlated | +0.17% | ||
| PSMT - WMT | 39% Loosely correlated | +2.94% | ||
| BJ - WMT | 37% Loosely correlated | -1.58% | ||
| TGT - WMT | 30% Poorly correlated | +0.74% | ||
| OLLI - WMT | 27% Poorly correlated | -5.05% | ||
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