Maybe it’s just me, but 2022 has passed in the blink of an eye.
We’re in a race to New Year’s. Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving just ahead, and hot on its heels — the holiday season!
It’s also the time of year when I have way too much candy on hand. Everything from Hershey bars to Reese’s peanut butter cups.
My children are only 4 and 2, but this Halloween was their biggest candy haul of all time.
Between their school’s “trunk-or-treat” event and trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, they each have two buckets filled to the brim!
(Needless to say, I’ve hidden these away. My son is still trying to solve the mystery of his missing “camdy.”)
But it got me thinking about the candy business…
Did you know that the U.S. candy production market is $12.1 billion?
Check it out:
(Source: IBISWorld.com)
Overall, according to IBISWorld, the candy production market has only grown about 0.9% each year since 2017. (Of course, that’s much lower than the U.S. GDP, but it is a whole lot steadier.)
I was also curious about which products sell the best.
Here’s the top 10 by revenue per Zippia:
- Hershey bars ($8.97 billion).
- M&M’s ($712 million).
- Reese’s peanut butter cups ($412 million).
- Kit Kat ($345 million).
- Twix ($297 million).
- Twizzlers ($264 million).
- Skittles ($261 million).
- Dove Bar ($192 million).
- 3 Musketeers ($187 million).
- Snickers ($381 million).
My husband and I maintain a stock portfolio for each of our kids’ college funds, and right now, the Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is on my watchlist.
With a market cap of $48.6 billion, HSY is a behemoth. You’re not going to see massive, quick growth like with most small- to mid-cap stocks.
But you also won’t see as much volatility — and you can collect a healthy dividend yield of 1.74%.
And also? Hershey has had a sweet ride lately:
- Its stock price has doubled in five years.
- It’s outperformed tech giants over three years.
- In 2022 (so far), it’s beaten more than 450 companies in the S&P 500.
If you’d like more information on ways to play the market — while collecting a dividend — I suggest you check out the November issue of Strategic Fortunes. Ian has a brand-new recommendation that yields 2.76% as of this writing. It also has the potential to double your money over the next three years.
Click here to learn how you can access this issue.
Before I sign off for the week, I want to share one of your emails in our weekly Reader Appreciation Day.
Thomas wrote in to say:
Hi, Amber, LOVE your emails! You go girl!!
Love what you and Ian are doing. […] Just wanted to tell you I appreciate your work. I’m 77, retired, NOT wealthy but doing just fine.
Thank you for the kind words, Thomas! Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox for Amber’s article next Tuesday. She’ll be back with her usual thoughtful analysis.
In the meantime, keep reading below for some of the top articles published this week on Banyan Hill Publishing!
This Week’s Wrap-Up
Recession-Proof Investing in 2022 — Ian and Amber take a look at a mega trend that they consider perfect for recession-proof investing in 2022: streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu.
The Government’s #1 Dirty Secret About Inflation — Inflation took off like a rocket just months after Biden’s $1,400 stimulus checks hit mailboxes across the nation. Charles Mizrahi doesn’t think it’s a coincidence.
The #1 Breakthrough Stock for 2023 — CRISPR Therapeutics is dedicated to two things: genetics research and saving lives. Find out why this biotech stock is our #1 pick for 2023!
No, Edge, No Win — “To know what everyone knows is to know nothing.” Michael Carr shares why this simple idea is the key to success in any endeavor, not just trading the markets…
The Merge: What’s Next for Ethereum? — On September 15, Ethereum upgraded its network. But what were the actual effects of the Ethereum Merge, and what can we expect next?
Best wishes,
Tiffany D’Abate
Senior Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing
Disclaimer: We will not track any stocks in Winning Investor Daily. We are just sharing our opinions, not advice. If you want access to the stocks in our model portfolio with tracking, updates and buy/sell guidance, please check out Strategic Fortunes.