Archer-Daniels-Midland Co vs HERSHEY CO, two Food & Beverage stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ADM and HSY diverge most: on implied growth (priced in), ADM reads +5.1% and HSY reads -3.1%; on revenue growth, ADM reads -0.7% and HSY reads +7.7%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's ADM price has a different growth bar priced in than HSY (+5.1% implied for ADM vs -3.1% for HSY); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What HSY's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | ADM | HSY |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.88 | $162.73 |
| Market cap | $38.7B | $36.1B |
| Sector | Food & Beverage | Food & Beverage |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +5.1% | -3.1% |
| P/E | 21.8 | — |
| P/B | 1.64 | 7.90 |
| P/S | 0.47 | 2.96 |
| EV/EBITDA | 45.4 | 15.2 |
| Revenue growth | -0.7% | +7.7% |
| Gross margin | 8.5% | 45.3% |
| Operating margin | — | 23.1% |
| Net margin | 2.2% | 12.2% |
| Return on equity | 7.5% | 32.6% |
| Return on assets | 3.3% | 10.7% |
| Return on invested capital | — | 16.5% |
| FCF yield | 4.3% | 6.2% |
| Dividend yield | 2.5% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.34 | 1.23 |
| Current ratio | 1.39 | 1.18 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 8.30 | 3.96 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.