Hershey Co vs S&P Global Inc — how do they compare? Hershey Co trades at $171.66 (market cap $34.83B), while S&P Global Inc trades at $435.04 (market cap $132.71B). The key difference: S&P Global Inc is far larger — about 3.8× Hershey Co's market cap, and Hershey Co pays the higher dividend (3.38%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HSY | SPGI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $34.83B | $132.71B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Financials |
52-Week High | $236.28 | $534.79 |
52-Week Low | $162.31 | $370.42 |
Enterprise Value | $39.63B | $144.68B |
Dividend Yield | 3.38% | 0.87% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Hershey (HSY) trades at $171.72, showing modest daily gains of 0.18%. The stock faces bearish technical signals with recent price action near support at $170, while fundamentals reveal mixed performance with strong earnings beats but compressed margins. Recent Q1 2026 EPS of $2.35 exceeded expectations by 15%, though net income margin declined to 7.55% in 2025 from 19.82% in 2024 due to cocoa cost pressures. The company maintains solid cash flow generation with $2.28B operating cash flow in 2025.
Hershey presents a cautious opportunity as margin recovery begins in Q2 2026, with analyst consensus target of $208.42 offering 21% upside. However, volume concerns and competitive pressures pose near-term risks. The 3.3% dividend yield provides income support while investors await evidence of sustained sales volume recovery and margin expansion in upcoming earnings.
S&P Global (SPGI) trades at $449.75, down 0.24% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook and strong fundamentals. The stock shows robust profitability with a 30.36% net income margin and consistent revenue growth, reaching $15.34B in 2025. Recent corporate actions include the spinoff of Mobility Global, streamlining operations. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $531.11 price target, and technical indicators signal a buy from moving averages despite overbought RSI levels.
The outlook for SPGI is positive, driven by margin expansion targets, AI-driven growth in API usage, and resilient recurring revenues. Key risks include high valuation multiples and sensitivity to debt issuance cycles. Investment opportunity lies in its market-leading position and strategic focus post-spinoff, though investors should monitor execution on growth initiatives and macroeconomic factors affecting capital markets.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →S&P Global provides data and benchmarks to capital and commodity market participants. In 2021 and excluding IHS Markit, S&P Ratings was over 45% of the firm's revenue and over 55% of the firm's operating income. S&P Ratings is the largest credit rating agency in the world. The firm's other segments include Market Intelligence, Indices, and Platts. Market Intelligence provides desktop tools and other data solutions to investment banks, corporations, and other entities. Indices provides benchmarks for financial markets and is monetized through subscriptions, asset-based fees, and transaction-based royalties. Platts provides benchmarks to commodity markets, principally petroleum.
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