Which has the lower trailing P/E, HSY or KMB?

KMB has the lower trailing P/E: HSY trades at 59.74 and KMB at 17.16. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, HSY or KMB?

Over the past five years, HSY grew revenue faster — HSY at a 7.31% CAGR versus KMB at -2.61%.

Does HSY or KMB pay a bigger dividend?

HSY yields 3.22% and KMB yields 4.65% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is HSY or KMB more profitable?

KMB runs the higher net margin — HSY at 12.24% versus KMB at 12.81%.

How have HSY and KMB total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, HSY delivered 7.22% and KMB delivered 1.83% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

The Hershey Company (HSY) vs Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB)

A side-by-side comparison of The Hershey Company and Kimberly-Clark Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 1, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

HSY

The Hershey Company

$35.50B

$175.05Consumer DefensiveAt close: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

KMB

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

$36.28B

$109.31Consumer DefensiveAt close: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

Total return — HSY vs KMB

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

HSY +1673.4%KMB +682.6%HSY compounded faster

HSY KMB

HSY vs KMB: by the numbers

•KMB is the larger company ($36.28B vs $35.50B market cap).
•KMB trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (17.16 vs 59.74 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•KMB converts more revenue to profit (12.81% vs 12.24% net margin).
•HSY grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.31% vs -2.61% CAGR).
•KMB pays the higher dividend yield (4.65% vs 3.22%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	HSY	KMB
P/E ratio	59.74	17.16
Forward P/E	20.66	14.53
P/S ratio	2.94	2.20
P/B ratio	7.84	20.28
EV / EBITDA	15.04	15.13
FCF yield	6.68%	7.08%

Profitability

Metric	HSY	KMB
Gross margin	38.11%	35.86%
Operating margin	17.58%	13.27%
Net margin	12.24%	12.81%
ROE	32.64%	117.98%
ROIC	9.00%	17.41%

Dividends

Metric	HSY	KMB
Dividend yield	3.22%	4.65%
Payout ratio	128.27%	83.55%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	HSY	KMB
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.31%	-2.61%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-6.42%	-2.50%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	7.87%	-8.19%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	2.06%	-0.52%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, HSY or KMB?: KMB has the lower trailing P/E: HSY trades at 59.74 and KMB at 17.16. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, HSY or KMB?: Over the past five years, HSY grew revenue faster — HSY at a 7.31% CAGR versus KMB at -2.61%.
Does HSY or KMB pay a bigger dividend?: HSY yields 3.22% and KMB yields 4.65% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is HSY or KMB more profitable?: KMB runs the higher net margin — HSY at 12.24% versus KMB at 12.81%.
How have HSY and KMB total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, HSY delivered 7.22% and KMB delivered 1.83% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full HSY analysis Full KMB analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Hershey P/E ratio Kimberly-Clark P/E ratio Hershey dividend yield Kimberly-Clark dividend yield Hershey ROE Kimberly-Clark ROE Hershey operating margin Kimberly-Clark operating margin Hershey revenue growth Kimberly-Clark revenue growth Hershey free cash flow Kimberly-Clark free cash flow

Hershey & Kimberly-Clark appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks 25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 1, 2026.