Image by: By Glyn Lowe Photoworks
By Richard K. Noots
Ah … The Holiday season. Thanksgiving will be here before we can even realize it, and delicious turkey will be smashed into our faces until we our properly gorged into a coma-like state. Then, upon the arrival of our respective holiday choices, we arise. We enjoy festivities like no other, and shine gifts and smiles to all we deem fit. We celebrate the good times of the passing year until we finally restart the whole process again on January first, often awakening from a slightly drunken stupor.
But … With all that celebrating and breaks between work, what’s a good way to make money so you can be assured that you can afford to repeat the whole process next year? That my friends, is why you invest. Oh yes, the holiday season has a few sneaky companies that can come out of nowhere and drum up millions of dollars of business, and then swoop out of sight before anyone has a chance to count their gains. With this is mind, here a few tips for where the good money is at this winter …
#1) Theaters
The movie market is a hard one to capitalize on, simply due to the fact that many are part of larger, more expensive firms. Sony and Walt Disney for example, are two of the heavy hitters. However, movie theater companies themselves, like Carmike Cinemas (NasdaqGS: CKEC) or Regal Cinemas (NasdaqGS: RGC) are always expanding and growing. The movie industry is known to experience large boosts around the holidays simply for all those crappy releases we know and love.
This is actually a market you should always be considering, simply because movie theaters have proven that despite troubling times in the economy and piracy, they still aren’t going anywhere. What they are doing is expanding business, making theaters a better and more comfortable experience as a whole with nothing but the consumer in mind. After all, they have to prove that they can give a better experience than any home movie set up, right?
#2) Toy Companies
This one may seem a little obvious to you, or it may seem a little scary. Even though we are in a digital age, toys still make money. The newest Transformers movie grossed over a billion dollars, and that entire movie franchise is based on old toys and a series of cartoons that came after. So yes, toys still make money, especially around those holidays!
So your best bet are companies like Hasbro (HAS) or Mattel (MAT). These are the biggest names out there currently in the line of toys. Mattel still produces a variety of successful doll lines for girls, and do I even need to mention that yes, Barbie is still popular? At least, around the holidays. This one can be a little risky, but Mattel has pulled through time and time again.
#3) Trees!
This one is the big one for the holiday season, and the main reason for writing this article. Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) is a logging company that handles most orders for in America and other areas for everyone’s Christmas needs. These guys are pretty much the only distributor of trees you need to know about. I, myself have worked in plant nurseries, and when winter comes they only thing that keeps those companies chugging is the love of Evergreens.
Weyerhaeuser is based out of the Pacific Northwest. This also gives them a great export location to China. I don’t know if you are aware of this, but generally any company that also sells to China is usually a pretty successful one. They have the means to keep growing (Ha!) and now is the perfect time to step in and see what Christmas Joy can really bring.
As always, take caution when investing. This is your money we’re talking about here, and you don’t want to waste it. However, this is a good time to make a jump in your portfolio, and with a little knowledge you can reap the benefits before New Years even has a chance to spring into action. Happy hunting!
What companies do you consider a strong investment? The toy market can seem a little shaky at times, but recently profits have been going up. Do you think toys will last through the digital age?