HSY vs. COST
HSY (The Hershey Company) and COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Defensive sector — HSY in Confectioners, COST in Discount Stores. Over the past 10 years, HSY returned 7.09%/yr vs 21.10%/yr for COST. Their 0.26 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
HSY vs. COST - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, HSY achieves a -2.43% return, which is significantly lower than COST's 10.87% return. Over the past 10 years, HSY has underperformed COST with an annualized return of 7.09%, while COST has yielded a comparatively higher 21.10% annualized return.
HSY
- 1D
- -1.23%
- 1M
- -3.89%
- 6M
- -8.83%
- YTD
- -2.43%
- 1Y
- -4.61%
- 3Y*
- -6.10%
- 5Y*
- 2.05%
- 10Y*
- 7.09%
- ALL TIME*
- 12.05%
COST
- 1D
- -0.24%
- 1M
- 0.18%
- 6M
- 1.55%
- YTD
- 10.87%
- 1Y
- 0.52%
- 3Y*
- 21.34%
- 5Y*
- 18.51%
- 10Y*
- 21.10%
- ALL TIME*
- 16.98%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.83B | $2.11B | $2.34B | |
| $334.98M | $334.20M | $373.33M |
HSY vs. COST - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HSY The Hershey Company | -2.43% | 10.98% | -6.51% | -17.88% | 21.86% | 29.58% | 5.90% | 40.20% | -2.92% | 12.33% |
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation | 10.87% | -5.39% | 39.62% | 49.00% | -19.05% | 51.82% | 32.67% | 45.70% | 10.60% | 22.37% |
Correlation
The correlation between HSY and COST is 0.22, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.22 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.12 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.20 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.28 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 22, 1993 | 0.26 |
The correlation between HSY and COST shifts across timeframes, from 0.12 (3 years) to 0.28 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
HSY:
$35.51B
COST:
$422.14B
HSY:
$7.31
COST:
$26.51
HSY:
23.96
COST:
35.91
HSY:
2.93
COST:
1.08
HSY:
$12.16B
COST:
$293.59B
HSY:
$4.64B
COST:
$11.12B
HSY:
$2.61B
COST:
$12.48B
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Return for Risk
HSY vs. COST — Risk / Return Rank
HSY
COST
HSY vs. COST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for The Hershey Company (HSY) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| HSY | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.22 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.25 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.00 | 1.03 | -0.03 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.12 | 0.12 | -0.24 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.23 | 0.26 | -0.50 |
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Drawdowns
HSY vs. COST - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum HSY drawdown since its inception was -49.15%, smaller than the maximum COST drawdown of -53.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HSY and COST.
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Drawdown Indicators
| HSY | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -49.15% | -53.39% | +4.24% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -27.38% | -16.57% | -10.81% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -34.15% | -20.74% | -13.41% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -45.25% | -31.40% | -13.85% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.25% | -31.40% | -13.85% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -30.64% | -12.88% | -17.76% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.16% | -13.36% | +0.20% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.40% | 7.81% | +5.59% |
Volatility
HSY vs. COST - Volatility Comparison
The Hershey Company (HSY) has a higher volatility of 8.22% compared to Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at 7.34%. This indicates that HSY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than COST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| HSY | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.22% | 7.34% | +0.88% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.96% | 15.13% | +6.83% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.59% | 19.96% | +7.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.28% | 22.93% | +0.35% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.08% | 22.03% | +1.05% |
Dividends
HSY vs. COST - Dividend Comparison
HSY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.22%, more than COST's 0.72% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation | 0.58% | 0.59% | 0.49% | 2.87% | 0.76% | 0.54% | 3.38% | 0.86% | 1.08% | 4.81% | 1.09% | 4.06% |
HSY The Hershey Company | 3.22% | 3.01% | 3.24% | 2.39% | 1.67% | 1.76% | 2.07% | 2.03% | 2.57% | 2.24% | 2.32% | 2.50% |
Financials
HSY vs. COST - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between The Hershey Company and Costco Wholesale Corporation. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
HSY vs. COST - Profitability Comparison
HSY - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, The Hershey Company reported a gross profit of 1.26B and revenue of 2.79B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 45.3%.
COST - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported a gross profit of -17.68B and revenue of 70.53B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was -25.1%.
HSY - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, The Hershey Company reported an operating income of 642.64M and revenue of 2.79B, resulting in an operating margin of 23.1%.
COST - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported an operating income of 2.82B and revenue of 70.53B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.0%.
HSY - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, The Hershey Company reported a net income of 457.67M and revenue of 2.79B, resulting in a net margin of 16.4%.
COST - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported a net income of 2.19B and revenue of 70.53B, resulting in a net margin of 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
HSY and COST have a correlation of 0.22, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
HSY has higher volatility (8.22%) compared to COST (7.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, HSY dropped -49.15% vs COST's -53.39%.
COST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.10 vs -0.11), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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