Hershey Co vs TJX Companies Inc — how do they compare? Hershey Co trades at $171.51 (market cap $34.83B), while TJX Companies Inc trades at $155.68 (market cap $172.00B). The key difference: TJX Companies Inc is far larger — about 4.9× Hershey Co's market cap, and Hershey Co pays the higher dividend (3.38%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HSY | TJX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $34.83B | $172.00B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $236.28 | $168.41 |
52-Week Low | $162.31 | $124.53 |
Enterprise Value | $39.63B | $180.60B |
Dividend Yield | 3.38% | 1.23% |
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.
TJX trades at $155.47, up 0.7% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and strong fundamental performance. The company has consistently beaten earnings expectations, with Q1 2026 EPS of $1.19 surpassing the $1.02 estimate. Revenue growth is robust, reaching $56.36 billion in 2025, with a net income margin of 9.4%. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with 88% recommending Buy and a consensus price target of $181.80, suggesting significant upside potential from current levels.
The outlook for TJX remains favorable, driven by sustained earnings beats, expanding margins, and strategic international growth. Key risks include competitive pressures in discount retail and sensitivity to consumer spending trends. With strong cash flow generation supporting dividends and buybacks, TJX presents a compelling growth story, though valuation metrics like a P/E of 30.05 warrant monitoring for overextension.
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 →TJX is a leading off-price retailer of apparel, home fashions, and other merchandise. It sells a variety of branded goods, opportunistically buying inventory from a network of over 21,000 vendors worldwide. TJX targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-60%, capitalizing on a flexible merchandising network, relatively low-frills stores, and a treasure-hunt shopping experience to drive margins and inventory turnover. TJX derived 79% of fiscal 2022 revenue from the United States, with 11% from Europe (mostly the United Kingdom and Germany), 9% from Canada, and the remainder from Australia. The company operated 4,689 stores at the end of fiscal 2022 under the T.J. Maxx, T.K. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Winners, Homesense, Winners, and Sierra banners.
Read more on TJX →