The Hershey Company (HSY) and Lindt & Sprüngli (OTCPK:LDSVF) (OTCPK:COCXF) both sell chocolate, but after that, the similarities end. While Hershey dominates the US market - offering what I'd call "good chocolate at a great price" - Lindt is a Swiss company that sells premium chocolate at a premium price. As an owner of Hershey, and someone who ate their fair share of Lindt chocolates while visiting Zurich, I'd like to contrast and compare both firms.

Breaking down return on equity to analyze trends

The first thing I'd like to point out is that Hershey booked a one-time charge related to tax-reform of $32,467 (in thousands), so its tax burden was high in the 2017 section of the below Dupont, but it will continue to benefit from lower taxes going forward as well.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE