The Hershey Company

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The Hershey Company is one of the oldest and largest chocolate manufactures in North America (Wikipeida). Despite the fact that the company was started in 1873, the company has continued to grow and retain good financial health. The company’s new and old strategies have helped it become a leader in the food manufacturing industry. With all this, I would recommend the company to continue its global expansion and integration. Financial Analysis In comparing The Hershey Company with one of its closest competitor, Nestlé, we find that The Hershey Company is financially healthier and stronger. Table 1 shows some financial ratios of both companies. In analyzing both the current and quick ratios, Hershey’s ratios are higher; therefore the company has more capability to pay off its financial obligations. The debt-to-equity ratio is also higher for The Hershey Company; this is good news for its shareholders because the greater earnings are shared among the same amount of shareholders. However, the company must be careful because a too big of a ratio can eventually lead to bankruptcy (Investopedia). The inventory turnover ratio for Nestlé is lower than Hershey’s because Nestlé either has lower sales or excess inventory. The total asset turnover for Hershey’s is also higher; this means that it is more efficient in using its assets in generating sales. As a result of a higher total asset turnover, the gross profit margin is lower than Nestlé’s (Investopedia). The return on assets and return on equity ratios are also better for Hershey’s because the company is making more money on less investment then Nestlé. External Analysis The first of Porter’s five forces is the threat of new entrants. “Identifying new entrants [to an industry] is important because they can threaten the market share of existing competitors” (Strategic Management). Fortunately for The Hershey Company,
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