by Fred Fuld III
Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, has roots that stretch back thousands of years to ancient Celtic traditions. The holiday is believed to have originated with the festival of Samhain, a pagan celebration marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, or the “darker half” of the year. Samhain was a time when the Celts believed the veil between the world of the living and the dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to roam freely. To ward off malevolent spirits, the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes made of animal heads and skins, blending into the supernatural atmosphere.
When Christianity spread across Celtic lands, the festival of Samhain gradually merged with Christian traditions. By the 9th century, the Catholic Church designated November 1st as All Saints’ Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, and the night before became known as All Hallows’ Eve. Over time, this evolved into Halloween. As European immigrants brought these traditions to North America, they blended with Native American and other cultural influences, shaping the modern version of the holiday. Halloween in the U.S. became widely celebrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, growing into the festive night of costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky decorations we know today.
Halloween will be here shortly, and will be a boon for the candy manufacturers. The motion picture companies that produce horror movie also benefit.
Hershey Foods (HSY): Founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey, Hershey Foods is one of the largest and most iconic chocolate manufacturers in the world. Headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the company is best known for its classic chocolate bars, Hershey’s Kisses, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Over the years, Hershey has expanded its portfolio to include a wide range of snacks, including popcorn and pretzels, and is a global player in the confectionery industry, operating in more than 60 countries. The company also places a strong emphasis on corporate social responsibility, particularly in sustainable cocoa farming.
The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 20.5, a forward P/E ratio of 20, and pays a dividend yield of 2.9%.
Tootsie Roll Industries (TR): Tootsie Roll Industries, founded in 1896, is a renowned American confectionery company famous for producing iconic treats like Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Dots, and Junior Mints. Headquartered in Chicago, the company has a long legacy of producing nostalgic candy that remains popular across generations. Tootsie Roll Industries prides itself on a stable, family-run business model, with a focus on maintaining classic recipes and product consistency while innovating with new treats and flavors.
The stock has a P/E of 22.8 and pays a yield of 1.19%. Earnings per share this year jumped 20.7%.
Mondelez International (MDLZ): Mondelez International, founded in 2012 as a spin-off from Kraft Foods, is a multinational snack and confectionery giant. Headquartered in Chicago, the company owns a portfolio of globally recognized brands, including Oreo, Cadbury, Toblerone, and Trident. Mondelez operates in more than 150 countries, with a strong focus on the snack food market, particularly in the categories of biscuits, chocolate, gum, and candy. Sustainability and environmental responsibility are key pillars of the company’s strategy, with initiatives aimed at reducing packaging waste and sourcing sustainable ingredients like cocoa.
Its candy brands include Sour Patch, Swedish Fish, Cadbury, and Toblerone. The trailing P/E is 24.7 and the forward P/E is 20. The yield is a tasty 2.5%.
Watching horror movies is another popular event on Halloween.
Netflix (NFLX): Founded in 1997 as a DVD rental-by-mail service, Netflix has since evolved into the world’s leading streaming entertainment platform. Headquartered in Los Gatos, California, the company has revolutionized the way people consume media, with over 230 million subscribers globally. Netflix is known for its vast library of TV shows, films, and documentaries, and has become a dominant force in content creation, producing award-winning original series like Stranger Things, The Crown, and The Witcher. The company continues to innovate in the streaming space, expanding its international content and experimenting with interactive media.
This high flying stock has an extensive selection of scary movies in its collection of titles. The stock trades as 42.9 times trailing earnings and 32.3 times forward earnings. Earnings per share skyrocketed by 62.9% this year. It does not pay a dividend.
Lionsgate Studios (LION): The stock, commonly known as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company founded in 1997. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, it is best known for producing and distributing films and television series across a wide range of genres. Lionsgate has gained significant recognition for successful franchises such as The Hunger Games, John Wick, and Saw, as well as its television arm, which includes popular shows like Orange is the New Black. With a focus on independent production and distribution, Lionsgate has established itself as a major player in both film and TV industries.
The company is a major producer of scary movies, which has made such films as American Psycho, Ginger Snaps, Route 666, The Devil’s Rejects, House of the Dead 2, Saw VI, See No Evil, Hostel: Part II, My Bloody Valentine 3D and many others. Lionsgate currently has generated negative earnings.
Then of course, Amazon (AMZN) has plenty of Halloween costumes. Amazon has a trailing PE of 45 and a forward PE of 32.
Hopefully, your Halloween stocks will bring you treats.
Disclosure: Author owns AMZN.
. Amazon has a trailing PE of 167 and a forward PE of 60.
