Easter obviously has its roots deep in Christianity, but just like Christmas, it’s become a peak time for consumer spending. A quick glance at the TV or the newspapers will be enough to see bundles of deals and offers, as marketers look to wrestle the hard-earned cash out of your pocket.
However, associating the brand you want to invest in with the company that’s behind it isn’t always easy, so if you’re looking to make investments that could benefit from this spike in seasonal spending, where do you go?
Just a few years back, it was easy enough to pick up shares in the big names when it came to chocolate eggs. Thorntons used to have its shares listed in London, but back in 2015 they were bought out by the Italian company Ferrero. And up until 2010, you could snap up shares in Cadbury, but the company was bought by US food giant Kraft, before being spun out into the global snacks business, Mondalez.
It’s easy enough to invest in most of the big UK supermarkets, although challenger brands like Aldi and Lidl are privately held, and if you want to back Asda, you’ll have to do that through its US parent company, WalMart.
Hotels will expect to be packed to the rafters over the long weekend as people travel afar to visit their loved ones. If there’s no room at the Premier Inn but you want to invest in the hotelier company then it’s Whitbread shares you need to buy. As for Holiday Inn, you’d be investing in Intercontinental Hotels Group. And the trusty Travelodge? That’s a no can do as they’re a privately held company.
Long weekends also make for rich pickings when it comes to the UK’s band of eager DIY enthusiasts. Seeing queues at B&Q and want a slice of the company MDF? It’s Kingfisher shares you want to buy. Homebase however has now been snapped up by the Australian group, Bunnings.
So yes. You can trade Easter, and not just in chocolate. Although we’ll be giving that a very good go.
