HSY vs ABEV Comparison

Hershey is a leading US confectionery manufacturer (around a $54 billion market, according to Euromonitor), controlling around 36% of the domestic chocolate aisle. Beyond its namesake label, the firm's portfolio has expanded over the last 85 years and now comprises 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 US, including Brazil, India, and Mexico. The firm has sought inorganic opportunities to extend its reach beyond its core confectionery business, adding Amplify Snack Brands and its Skinny Pop ready-to-eat popcorn to its portfolio, as well as Pirate Brands and Dot's Pretzels over the past few years.

Ambev is the largest brewer in Latin America and the Caribbean and is Anheuser-Busch InBev's subsidiary in the region. It produces, distributes, and sells beer and PepsiCo products in Brazil and other Latin American countries and owns Argentina's largest brewer, Quinsa. Ambev was formed in 1999 through the merger of Brazil's two largest beverage companies, Brahma and Antarctica. In 2004, Ambev combined with Canadian brewer Labatt, giving AB InBev a controlling interest of 62%.