HSY vs VTR 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.

Ventas owns a diversified healthcare portfolio of almost 1,400 in-place properties spread across the senior housing, medical office, hospital, life science, and skilled nursing/post-acute care. The portfolio includes almost 100 properties in Canada and the United Kingdom as the company looks for additional investment opportunities in countries with mature healthcare systems that operate similarly to the United States. The firm also owns mortgages and other loans, contributing about 1% of net operating income.