Applied Digital Corporation vs Hershey Co — how do they compare? Applied Digital Corporation trades at $31.11 (market cap $8.55B), while Hershey Co trades at $183.96 (market cap $36.56B). The key difference: Hershey Co is far larger — about 4.3× Applied Digital Corporation's market cap, and Hershey Co pays a 3.19% dividend while Applied Digital Corporation pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APLD | HSY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.55B | $36.56B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $49.65 | $236.28 |
52-Week Low | $13.89 | $162.31 |
Enterprise Value | $12.06B | $41.70B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.19% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Digital (APLD) trades at $30.89, up 6.3% today, with a neutral technical signal despite recent earnings misses. The company shows explosive revenue growth potential with $36 billion in contracted AI infrastructure deals, though current financials reveal significant losses with a -39.91% net margin. Analyst sentiment remains strongly bullish with 100% buy ratings and a $72.36 consensus target.
The stock presents high-risk, high-reward potential with massive contracted revenue offset by current negative profitability and substantial financing needs. Key catalysts include data center build-out execution, while risks include debt load expansion and competitive pressures in the AI infrastructure space.
Hershey (HSY) trades at $183.19, up 0.24% with strong technical momentum and bullish moving average signals. The company demonstrates robust fundamentals with Q2 2026 EPS beating estimates by 33% and revenue growth of 4.5-5% guidance. Recent earnings show significant margin recovery to 45.3% as cocoa prices decline, supporting the stock's premium valuation at 24.86 P/E. Analyst consensus price target of $196.78 suggests 7.4% upside potential from current levels.
HSY presents a compelling investment case with improving fundamentals, dividend growth resumption, and margin expansion. However, risks include volume declines in salty snacks, competitive pressures, and potential cocoa price volatility. The stock's current technical overbought condition near resistance at $184 warrants caution despite positive earnings momentum and institutional support.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Applied Digital provides high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure and cloud services. It designs and operates data centers tailored for AI, machine learning, and other intensive digital workloads across North America.
Read more on APLD →Hershey is a leading confectionery manufacturer in the U.S. (around a $25 billion market), controlling around 46% of the domestic chocolate space (per IRI). Beyond its namesake label, the firm's mix has expanded over the last 85 years and now consists of 100 brands, including Reese's, Kit Kat, Kisses, and Ice Breakers. Hershey's products are sold in about 80 countries, albeit with just a high-single-digit percentage of sales coming from markets outside the U.S., including Brazil, India, and Mexico. The firm has sought inorganic opportunities to extend its reach beyond its core confection business, adding Amplify Snack Brands and its Skinny Pop ready-to-eat popcorn to its mix and Pirate Brands (including the Pirate's Booty, Smart Puffs, and Original Tings brands) over the past few years.
Read more on HSY →