HSY vs VOD 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.

Vodafone operates mobile and fixed-line networks and businesses across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Its largest market is Germany, where it is the second mobile operator after Deutsche Telekom and owns two cable networks after acquiring Kabel Deutschland in 2013 and Liberty Global Germany in 2019. In the UK, Vodafone merged with CK Hutchison in 2024, consolidating the mobile market. It also divested its Spanish and Italian divisions in that same year, given their low returns on invested capital.