Below is a list of the most popular Halloween stocks. There is only one holiday that brings people together, no matter their age, culture, or beliefs: Halloween. In October, many households decorate their front yards with skeletons, graveyards, and ghosts and prepare costumes for their annual Halloween party. It’s a celebration for all ages and is very important for consumers and businesses.
Many companies profit from Halloween and the months following the holiday as spending and stock market activity increase. During Halloween, many industries benefit from increased consumer spending, such as sweets, retail, and entertainment.
Many households spend hundreds of dollars on candy, chocolate, costumes, and indoor/outdoor decorations. Here are a few examples.
Fun fact: Halloween is the second-largest candy-selling holiday after Christmas, according to the National Confectioners Association.
Best Halloween Stocks 2026
| Symbol | Company |
|---|---|
| HSY | Hershey Co |
| MDLZ | Mondelez International |
| TGT | Target Corp. |
| TR | Tootsie Roll Industries Inc |
| WMT | Walmart Inc. |
| DIS | Walt Disney Co. |
Hershey Co (NYSE: HSY)
We begin with Hershey. The company’s Q3 and Q4 are typically its strongest quarters due to holiday candy spending. During that period, it introduced innovative seasonal products and flavors. For instance, in 2024, Hershey unveiled new Halloween-themed treats like Kit Kat Ghost Toast and Reese’s Werewolf Tracks.
During the weeks leading up to Halloween, Hershey strengthens its brand thanks to strategic marketing initiatives and consumer engagement.
Mondelez International (NASDAQ: MDLZ)
Next on the Halloween stocks list is Mondelez, which owns Oreo, Cadbury, Toblerone, Chips Ahoy!, Milka, Ritz, Sour Patch Kids, and other brands.
The company introduces new themed products such as Mini OREO Spooky Bags, Spooky OREO Rollpack, and Cadbury Skeleton Fingers during Halloween.
By leveraging its well-known brands like Cadbury and Oreo in festive packaging, Mondelez drives impulse purchases and attracts consumers looking for traditional and unique Halloween treats.
Thanks to these products, Mondelez can boost its sales during Halloween and remind its consumers that they love sugar!
Tootsie Roll Industries Inc (NYSE: TR)
Halloween represents a major selling season for Tootsie Roll in its primary market, the United States. Therefore, it’s a good Halloween stock to consider.
Like Hershey and Mondelez, Tootsie Roll offers a wide range of products specifically for Halloween. The company produces themed packaging and limited-edition products to appeal to those looking for festive treats.
During Q3, the company’s sales are larger than those of any other quarter during the year. Coincidentally, Tootsie Roll’s stock price often sees a significant price increase in the months following the holiday.
Despite being a much smaller company than Mondelez and Hershey, it thrives during Halloween thanks to its nostalgic appeal.
Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT)
Let’s move on to a different industry for our Halloween stocks list: retail. Target drives sales across multiple product categories during Halloween and enhances its brand image.
Target’s Halloween strategy is to provide value to budget-conscious consumers while offering trendy and desirable products.
It’s also the perfect time to promote its Hyde & EEK! Boutique for costumes, candy, and other merchandise.
During Halloween, Target attracts a lot of foot traffic to its stores. It also becomes the perfect opportunity for the winter holiday shopping season and its Q4 success.
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
As Halloween approaches, Walmart experiences increased customer interest and spending in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Furthermore, it enhances the Halloween experience by offering various seasonal activities (family-friendly games and creative projects).
Walmart also transforms its store parking lots into festive spaces with events for the entire family. The superstore goes all-in during this holiday to attract as many consumers as possible and to enhance its brand image.
Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS)
At Walt Disney World, Halloween festivities begin mid-August and run through October 31st. This extended season allows Disney to capitalize on increased park attendance during what was traditionally a slower period.
A key revenue generator is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, an after-hours ticketed event at Magic Kingdom Park that runs on select nights throughout the season. In Florida, this brings in approximately $3.3 million per night and $125M across the entire season.
The Halloween season also drives merchandise sales. Disney offers a wide range of themed products, from apparel to collectibles. The company has successfully transformed these slow months into a new business segment in the last few years.
Halloween Seasonality & Market Effects
The companies we mentioned above are not the only ones benefiting from Halloween. In the weeks and months following the holiday, many more important dates measure the strength of our economy and the willingness of consumers to spend their hard-earned money.
These events can benefit many companies, industries, and the stock market. Let’s discuss how volume can help Halloween stocks.
Stock market trading volume tends to follow seasonal patterns, with certain months typically seeing higher or lower volume. In the summer, many investors are on holiday and away from the stock market. As of October, trading volume generally increases until January (we’ll see why below!).
Fun fact: Many believe October is a bad month for trading. Historically, it has been very volatile, but that reputation mostly comes from historical events during that month.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday
As the festive season begins around Halloween and carries on to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, it is a time of increased consumer spending.
This increased economic activity often leads to higher trading volumes as investors anticipate strong retail sales and adjust their portfolios.
As long as the expectations are met and exceeded, stock prices can increase during these periods.
Christmas Rally
We continue the holiday momentum with the Christmas Rally, aka Santa Claus Rally. During this period, institutional investors often take vacations, leading to a market dominated by retail investors.
Retail investors tend to be bullish during the holiday season, contributing to increased trading volumes and upward market trends.
Many investors, including fund managers, also use year-end portfolio rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting.
This activity can increase trading volumes as they adjust their holdings before the end of the fiscal year.
It’s important to note that while this pattern is observed historically, it does not guarantee positive returns yearly.
January Effect
When the holidays are over, spending on gifts and trips is over, and stock market spending resumes. This is what we call the January Effect. At the end of the year, investors often sell stocks to realize capital losses for tax purposes.
This can lead to a decrease in stock prices in December. Once the new year begins, investors typically reinvest in the market.
XLY ETF Performance (2026 YTD)
| Year | Performance | 2026 (YTD) | +8.2% |
|---|---|
| 2025 | +29.0% |
| 2024 | +42.0% |
| 2023 | +40.0% |
| 2022 | -37.2% |
Final Thoughts: Halloween Stocks
As the holiday approaches, many retailers attract consumers to spend more money on Halloween and the holidays leading up to the New Year.
Candy, chocolate, and Halloween events give way to turkeys, huge sales, and Christmas shopping. If spending the holiday season is fruitful and expectations are met, many believe it will increase stock prices.
However, the opposite can happen just as easily. Keep an eye on earnings and estimates for the big retailers, the Magnificent Seven, and other big companies. Please do not trade any of the securities on this Halloween stocks list unless you know how to trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sweets, retail, and entertainment companies such as Hershey, Mondelez, Target, Walmart, and Disney are great examples of companies that profit during Halloween.
Both companies expect their Q3 and Q4 sales to surpass Q1 and Q2, thanks to their Halloween sales. This can lead to higher stock prices after the holiday.
