Hershey Co vs YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs — how do they compare? Hershey Co trades at $170.5 (market cap $34.83B), while YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs trades at $7.68. The key difference: Hershey Co pays a 3.38% dividend while YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HSY | YMAX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $34.83B | — |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Income / Options Overlay |
52-Week High | $236.28 | $14.00 |
52-Week Low | $162.31 | $7.51 |
Enterprise Value | $39.63B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.38% | — |
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.
YMAX trades at $7.52 with no recent price movement. Technical indicators show a bearish trend, with moving averages signaling sell pressure and oscillators neutral. The fund generates weekly dividend income, though recent news highlights concerns over fee structures impacting payouts. Support and resistance are tightly clustered around $7 and $8, indicating limited near-term price range.
Outlook remains cautious due to bearish technicals and cost structure headwinds. The high-yield strategy offers income but faces erosion from layered fees. Key risks include dependency on market volatility for strategy success and competitive pressures in the ETF space. Investors should weigh yield against potential capital depreciation.
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 →YMAX is an actively managed 'fund of funds' that provides equal-weighted exposure to the full suite of YieldMax option income ETFs. It is designed to generate high current income by aggregating the premiums from various single-stock and thematic covered call strategies, offering a diversified approach to high-yield option investing.
Read more on YMAX →