Compare StocksHSY vs JNJ

The Hershey Company (HSY) vs Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

HSY
The Hershey Company
$210.58
VS
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
$237.60

Rewards

HSY
  • The Hershey Company has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • The Hershey Company scores 72/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Altman Z-Score of 4.24 indicates very low bankruptcy risk — the company is firmly in the safe zone.
JNJ
  • Johnson & Johnson has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • Gross margin of 68.1% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Johnson & Johnson scores 90/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

HSY
  • Trailing P/E of 48.5x is 86% above the historical average of 26.0x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
  • 5 insider sales totaling $1.9M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
JNJ
  • FCF yield of 2.9% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • 7 insider sales totaling $58.4M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

Key Valuation Metrics

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HSY
JNJ
Valuation
$1.45B
Free Cash Flow
$16.63B
3.39%
FCF Yield
2.90%
48.52
Trailing P/E
21.56
21.44
Forward P/E
18.90
Quality & Moat
13.09%
ROIC
13.63%
19.05%
ROE
32.87%
33.55%
Gross Margin
68.08%
N/A
PEG Ratio
0.44
Balance Sheet Safety
1.24
Debt / Equity
0.60
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
2.44
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.86
2.76%
Dividend Yield
2.19%
HSY: 2Ties: 2JNJ: 7
HSYJNJ

Historical Fundamentals

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HSY

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

JNJ

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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HSY
$-5.53
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$1.91B
Δ Market Cap
$-10.55B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
JNJ
$0.91
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Mediocre Allocator
Σ Retained
$40.05B
Δ Market Cap
+$36.63B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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HSY
53.1% Overvalued
Price is 53.1% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $210.58
Fair Value: $137.59
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
JNJ
2.9% Margin of Safety
Price is 2.9% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $237.60
Fair Value: $244.77
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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HSY

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $211?

+21.2%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +14.4%

The market implies +21.2% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +14.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

JNJ

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $238?

+9.3%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +15.8%

The market implies +9.3% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +15.8%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

Economic Moat Score

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HSY
72/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
JNJ
90/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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HSY
-2.78
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
JNJ
-2.31
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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HSY
Insiders 0.4%Institutions 88.8%Retail & Other 10.7%
No. of Institutional Holders1,860
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
JNJ
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 75.8%Retail & Other 24.2%
No. of Institutional Holders5,544
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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HSY
0
Buys (3M)
3
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $445,411
SCHECHTMAN NATALIE S
Officer
$37,258
@ $186.29 · 2025-11-24
TANNER KIRK L.
Chief Executive Officer
$370,915
@ $185.46 · 2025-11-21
TAFFET STACY
Officer
$37,238
@ $186.19 · 2025-11-21
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
JNJ
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $257,688
MORIKIS JOHN G
Director
$257,688
@ $206.15 · 2025-11-26
WEINBERGER MARK A
Director
$147,220
@ $147.22 · 2024-12-12
WOODS EUGENE A
Director
$14,553
@ $145.53 · 2024-04-30
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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HSY
5
Sells (3M)
25
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $25.81M
REIMAN JASON R
Officer
$452,140
@ $226.07 · 2026-02-24
GROVER ROHIT
Officer
$791,245
@ $226.07 · 2026-02-24
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$329,490
@ $219.66 · 2026-02-18
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$298,005
@ $198.67 · 2026-01-20
ROBBIN-COKER CORDEL
Director
$23,933
@ $184.10 · 2026-01-05
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$282,765
@ $188.51 · 2025-12-18
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$269,340
@ $179.56 · 2025-11-18
ROBBIN-COKER CORDEL
Director
$50,971
@ $168.22 · 2025-11-03
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$281,280
@ $187.52 · 2025-10-20
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$283,680
@ $189.12 · 2025-09-18
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$267,795
@ $178.53 · 2025-08-18
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$3.74M
@ $194.00 · 2025-07-30
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$3.57M
@ $185.00 · 2025-07-23
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$900,000
@ $180.00 · 2025-07-21
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$3.47M
@ $180.00 · 2025-07-21
GROVER ROHIT
Officer
$240,120
@ $180.00 · 2025-07-21
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$3.38M
@ $175.00 · 2025-07-01
TUROFF JAMES
General Counsel
$227,500
@ $175.00 · 2025-07-01
GROVER ROHIT
Officer
$233,275
@ $175.00 · 2025-07-01
TUROFF JAMES
General Counsel
$214,500
@ $165.00 · 2025-06-09
GROVER ROHIT
Officer
$219,945
@ $165.00 · 2025-06-09
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$5.02M
@ $160.80 · 2025-05-30
TUROFF JAMES
General Counsel
$209,040
@ $160.80 · 2025-05-30
MCCALMAN JENNIFER L.
Officer
$153,025
@ $157.11 · 2025-05-28
MALCOLM ROBERT M.
Director
$907,267
@ $165.32 · 2025-05-02
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$540,000
@ $180.00 · 2025-02-25
MCCALMAN JENNIFER L.
Officer
$41,144
@ $148.00 · 2025-02-03
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$180,000
@ $180.00 · 2024-12-03
MCCALMAN JENNIFER L.
Officer
$49,840
@ $179.28 · 2024-11-04
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$185,470
@ $185.47 · 2024-10-21
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$197,540
@ $197.54 · 2024-09-19
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$5.45M
@ $200.40 · 2024-09-06
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$179,320
@ $199.24 · 2024-09-05
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$948,995
@ $199.16 · 2024-09-04
SCALIA CHRISTOPHER M
Officer
$985,200
@ $197.04 · 2024-08-26
BUCK MICHELE G
Chief Executive Officer
$524,738
@ $199.37 · 2024-08-21
VOSKUIL STEVEN E
Chief Financial Officer
$193,870
@ $193.87 · 2024-08-19
RAUP CHARLES R
Officer
$400,342
@ $193.87 · 2024-08-19
MCCALMAN JENNIFER L.
Officer
$107,153
@ $199.17 · 2024-08-12
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
JNJ
7
Sells (3M)
12
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $101.23M
DECKER ROBERT J
Officer
$1.01M
@ $247.87 · 2026-02-27
SCHMID TIMOTHY
Officer
$324,763
@ $245.66 · 2026-02-20
SCHMID TIMOTHY
Officer
$5.53M
@ $244.33 · 2026-02-18
WOLK JOSEPH J
Chief Financial Officer
$21.77M
@ $242.80 · 2026-02-17
SWANSON JAMES D
Chief Technology Officer
$15.11M
@ $243.39 · 2026-02-17
BROADHURST VANESSA
Officer
$1.51M
@ $243.39 · 2026-02-17
REED JOHN C
Officer
$13.11M
@ $243.00 · 2026-02-17
REED JOHN C
Officer
$4.19M
@ $192.71 · 2025-10-17
TAUBERT JENNIFER L
Officer
$10.04M
@ $177.81 · 2025-09-04
DUATO JOAQUIN BOIX
Chief Executive Officer
$22.55M
@ $179.21 · 2025-08-22
WOLK JOSEPH J
Chief Financial Officer
$2.98M
@ $176.91 · 2025-08-15
REED JOHN C
Officer
$3.13M
@ $163.55 · 2025-07-17
DECKER ROBERT J
Officer
$1.16M
@ $165.88 · 2025-02-25
SCHMID TIMOTHY
Officer
$62,928
@ $156.15 · 2025-02-18
WOLK JOSEPH J
Chief Financial Officer
$2.00M
@ $153.89 · 2025-02-07
DECKER ROBERT J
Officer
$930,113
@ $165.06 · 2024-08-30
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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HSY
FearGreed
😐Neutral(46/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
JNJ
FearGreed
😐Neutral(59/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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HSY
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (46)
JNJ
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (59)
View HSY Full AnalysisView JNJ Full Analysis
The Hershey Company (HSY) vs Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io