RJF vs HSY Comparison

Raymond James Financial is a diversified financial services firm that provides wealth management, investment banking, asset management, and capital markets services to individuals, corporations, and municipalities. The firm maintains an extensive catalogue of products and services across its business lines. However, the wealth management franchise generates the bulk of its revenues and earnings through a vast network of nearly 8,800 independent and employee-affiliated advisors, who collectively manage over $1.5 trillion in client assets as of fiscal year-end 2024. While Raymond James maintains a global footprint, the company derives over 90% of its revenue, and an even larger percentage of its operating income, from the United States.

Hershey is a leading US confectionery manufacturer (around a $54 billion market, according to Euromonitor), controlling around 36% of the domestic chocolate space. 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.