Hershey Co vs Lumen Technologies Inc — how do they compare? Hershey Co trades at $171.9 (market cap $34.83B), while Lumen Technologies Inc trades at $6.76 (market cap $6.47B). The key difference: Hershey Co is far larger — about 5.4× Lumen Technologies Inc's market cap, and Hershey Co pays a 3.38% dividend while Lumen Technologies Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HSY | LUMN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $34.83B | $6.47B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Media |
52-Week High | $236.28 | $11.83 |
52-Week Low | $162.31 | $3.70 |
Enterprise Value | $39.63B | $18.10B |
Dividend Yield | 3.38% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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LUMN trades at $6.76, up 7.64% today, but remains in a bearish technical trend with resistance at $7. The company reported a net loss of $1.74B in 2025 despite beating EPS estimates in two of the last three quarters. Recent news highlights AI-focused initiatives, including the acquisition of Alkira and recognition in Gartner's AI vendor report, signaling strategic repositioning amid declining revenue.
The outlook is cautious with high debt ($17.49B long-term) and negative profitability metrics posing significant risks. Analyst consensus is mixed (14% Buy, 61% Hold) with a $8.25 price target, suggesting limited upside. Investors should weigh cost-cutting progress and AI contract growth against persistent cash flow challenges and competitive pressures in telecom services.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →With 450,000 route miles of fiber, including over 35,000 route miles of subsea fiber connecting Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Lumen Technologies is one of the United States' largest telecommunications carriers serving global enterprises. Its merger with Level 3 further shifted the company's operations toward businesses (over 70% of revenue) and away from its legacy consumer business. Lumen offers businesses a full menu of communications services, providing colocation and data center services, data transportation, and end-user phone and internet service. On the consumer side, Lumen provides broadband and phone service across 37 states, where it has 4.5 million broadband customers.
Read more on LUMN →