HSY vs DD 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.

DuPont is a diversified global specialty chemicals company created in 2019 as a result of the DowDuPont merger and subsequent separations. Its portfolio includes specialty chemicals and downstream products that serve the electronics, water, construction, safety and protection, automotive, and healthcare industries. DuPont plans to spin off its electronics business by the end of 2025, which will be named Qnity. The company also plans to divest its legacy aramid fibers business in early 2026, which contains the Kevlar and Nomex product lines.