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HSY or MO or PEP
Which Stock Would AI Choose? The Hershey Company (HSY) vs. Altria Group (MO) vs. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HSY leads YTD performance at over 21%, driven by salty snacks growth and analyst upgrades to Strong Buy.
- MO shows solid YTD gains around 18%, supported by stable cash flows and attractive dividend yield near 8%.
- PEP delivers about 11-13% YTD returns, bolstered by diversified beverages and snacks amid product innovations.
- All three offer defensive consumer staples exposure with yields above 2.5%, but HSY trades at a premium P/E of ~50x versus MO (~10x) and PEP (~26x).
- Recent momentum favors HSY with strategic expansions, while MO emphasizes dividend sustainability amid volume pressures.
- Relative performance highlights trade-offs: growth in HSY, income in MO, and scale in PEP.
Introduction
This comparison examines HSY, MO, and PEP, three stalwarts in consumer staples offering resilience amid market volatility. HSY focuses on confectionery and snacks, MO on tobacco products, and PEP on beverages and diversified foods. Investors seeking defensive positions with dividends, or traders eyeing relative momentum in staples, will find value in analyzing their recent price behavior, sentiment shifts, and positioning. As consumer trends evolve toward health-conscious options and premium snacks, these stocks highlight key contrasts in growth drivers and risk profiles.
HSY Overview and Recent Performance
The Hershey Company (HSY) is a leading North American confectioner, known for brands like Hershey's chocolate and Reese's, with expanding salty snacks via acquisitions. In recent market activity, shares have shown strength, up over 21% YTD and around 20-30% in the past year, outperforming the S&P 500. Trading near $217 with a market cap of ~$44B, it boasts a 2.5-2.7% dividend yield and elevated P/E near 50x, reflecting growth expectations. Sentiment has improved with analyst upgrades to Strong Buy, an 18.6% rise in earnings estimates, and operational streamlining like unifying U.S. businesses under one roof. Expansion into salty snacks and partnerships have driven positive momentum, though cocoa costs and competitive pressures linger as influences on performance.
MO Overview and Recent Performance
Altria Group (MO) dominates U.S. tobacco with Marlboro cigarettes and growing oral nicotine like on!. Shares trade around $68 with a ~$113B market cap, delivering ~18% YTD and 17-23% one-year returns, aided by dividends yielding ~8%. Recent weeks reflect steady gains amid stable cash flows, though cigarette volumes declined ~10% in recent quarters. Performance benefits from pricing power offsetting declines, with low P/E ~10x signaling value. Investor sentiment focuses on dividend sustainability and shifts to reduced-risk products, balancing regulatory risks with resilient demand in consumer staples.
PEP Overview and Recent Performance
PepsiCo (PEP) spans beverages like Pepsi and snacks via Frito-Lay, with global reach. Shares hover near $158-160, market cap ~$218B, posting 11-13% YTD and ~10% one-year gains. Dividend yield stands at 3.5-3.6%, P/E ~26x. Recent activity includes strategic moves like activist settlements and protein snack launches (e.g., Good Warrior), responding to consumer shifts. North America volumes softened, but international strength and Q4 beats support sentiment. Cost management and innovations influence steady performance in a competitive landscape.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
HSY, MO, and PEP anchor consumer staples but diverge in models: HSY's confectionery/snacks chase premium growth, MO's tobacco leans on pricing amid declines, and PEP's beverages/snacks offer scale. YTD, HSY (~21%) edges MO (~18%) over PEP (~12%), reflecting snacks momentum versus volume headwinds. Valuation contrasts: HSY P/E ~50x signals premium for catalysts like salty snacks; MO ~10x undervalues high yield but risks regulation; PEP ~26x balances diversification. Risks include commodity costs for HSY/ PEP, volumes for MO. Sentiment tilts positive on HSY upgrades, MO income appeal, PEP innovations—trade-offs in growth versus stability.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors HSY for its superior trend consistency, YTD outperformance, and catalysts like snacks expansion amid analyst upgrades. Relative positioning shows stronger momentum versus MO's volume risks and PEP's softer volumes, though MO appeals for yield. Probabilistic edge leans HSY in staples rotation.
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 whileMO’s FA Score has 5 green FA rating(s), and PEP’s FA Score reflects 2 green FA rating(s).
- HSY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- MO’s FA Score: 5 green, 0 red.
- PEP’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 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 MO’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and PEP’s TA Score reflects 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HSY’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- MO’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 3 bearish.
- PEP’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
HSY (@Food: Specialty/Candy) experienced а -1.88% price change this week, while MO (@Tobacco) price change was +2.46% , and PEP (@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic) price fluctuated +0.03% 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 @Tobacco industry was +0.39%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +1.02%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.00%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Beverages: Non-Alcoholic industry was +1.66%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.85%, and the average quarterly price growth was +164975.86%.
Reported Earning Dates
HSY is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
MO is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
PEP is expected to report earnings on Apr 16, 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.
@Tobacco (+0.39% 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.
@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic (+1.66% 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.
| HSY | MO | PEP | |
| Capitalization | 41B | 113B | 215B |
| EBITDA | 1.94B | 10.8B | 15.5B |
| Gain YTD | 11.901 | 18.816 | 10.412 |
| P/E Ratio | 46.62 | 16.35 | 26.18 |
| Revenue | 11.7B | 20.1B | 93.9B |
| Total Cash | 926M | N/A | 9.53B |
| Total Debt | 5.74B | 25.7B | 49.9B |
HSY | MO | PEP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 5 | 5 | 56 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 36 Fair valued | 10 Undervalued | 26 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 65 | 10 | 55 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 45 | 9 | 22 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 49 | 31 | 50 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 7 | 13 | 36 | |
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.
MO's Valuation (10) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as PEP (26) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is in the same range as HSY (36) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry. This means that MO's stock grew similarly to PEP’s and similarly to HSY’s over the last 12 months.
MO's Profit vs Risk Rating (10) in the Tobacco industry is somewhat better than the same rating for PEP (55) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for HSY (65) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry. This means that MO's stock grew somewhat faster than PEP’s and somewhat faster than HSY’s over the last 12 months.
MO's SMR Rating (9) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as PEP (22) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for HSY (45) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry. This means that MO's stock grew similarly to PEP’s and somewhat faster than HSY’s over the last 12 months.
MO's Price Growth Rating (31) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as HSY (49) in the Food Specialty Or Candy industry, and is in the same range as PEP (50) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that MO's stock grew similarly to HSY’s and similarly to PEP’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 MO (13) in the Tobacco industry, and is in the same range as PEP (36) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that HSY's stock grew similarly to MO’s and similarly to PEP’s over the last 12 months.
| HSY | MO | PEP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 63% | N/A | 1 day ago 58% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 44% | 1 day ago 35% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 45% | 1 day ago 65% | 1 day ago 48% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 48% | 1 day ago 57% | 1 day ago 43% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 55% | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 41% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 47% | 1 day ago 44% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 39% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 54% | 11 days ago 37% | 5 days ago 43% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 65% | 1 day ago 59% | 1 day ago 57% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 57% | 1 day ago 22% | 1 day ago 38% |
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