HSY vs ED Comparison

Hershey is a leading US confectionery manufacturer (around a $55 billion market, according to Euromonitor), controlling 35% 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, Dot's Pretzels, and LesserEvil over the past few years.

Con Ed is a holding company for Consolidated Edison of New York, or CECONY, and Orange & Rockland, or O&R. These utilities provide steam, natural gas, and electricity to customers in southeastern New York, including New York City, and small parts of New Jersey. The two utilities generate nearly all of Con Ed's earnings following the sale of its clean energy business to RWE in early 2023.