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Invest in food and drink companies
Discover popular stocks plus considerations when investing in the food and drink industry.
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Food and drink shares can be quite exciting – you’re investing in brands that you consume everyday or your favourite restaurants. You’ll come across these companies day-to-day — on the high street, in the supermarket and, in some cases, delivered to your front door. Find out some food and drink stocks, why investors choose them and how it’s done.
UK food and drink stocks
If you want to invest in food and drink stocks a little closer to home, there are some UK food and drink stocks that you can invest in, such as:
Investing in global food and drink stocks from the UK
We’ve listed some examples of food and drink stocks with more information about them, and you can see an A-Z list below if you’ve got any in mind.
Coca-Cola (KO.US)
Coca-Cola is a beverage manufacturer. It manufactures, sells and markets both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, including Coca-Cola, of which it is famous for. Coca-Cola is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Compare brokers to buy Coca-Cola shares
Wetherspoons (JDW.LSE)
JD Wetherspoon (also often referred to as Wetherspoon, Wetherspoons and Spoons) is a national chain of pubs across the UK and Ireland. It has more than 900 pubs, including Lloyds No. 1 bars and hotels. Wetherspoon is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is part of the FTSE 250.
Compare brokers to buy Wetherspoons shares
McDonald’s (MCD.US)
McDonald’s is a fast food restaurant chain and franchise. It has more than 39,000 outlets worldwide in over 100 countries. McDonald’s is the world’s largest restaurant chain by revenue and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Compare brokers to buy McDonald’s shares
Why invest in food and drink stocks?
Some of these brands are ones that you’ll encounter frequently, maybe even every day. This means that they have the potential to perform well, even in an economic downturn. This is because people still need to eat and drink, even when there’s a recession. Growth may be slower during recessions than in economic booms, and of course there’s the risk that stocks will decline in value.
How to invest in food and drink stocks
- Choose stocks to invest in. You can check out some food and drink stocks above and find out more about them.
- Choose an investment platform. You’ll need one that lets you invest in the stock exchange that your chosen stocks are listed on.
- Sign up and fund your account. You might need to wait for your account to be verified and for your funds to hit the account before you can begin.
- Find your chosen stock. You can search its name or ticker.
- Review and buy. It’s as easy as that!
The risks of food and drink stocks
With this sector, there are several risks – including those faced by agricultural stocks. The coronavirus pandemic closed thousands of restaurants worldwide, which means that many food and drink stocks made losses in 2020.
There have been several reports of restaurants and supermarkets suffering from supply issues caused by the HGV driver shortage, which has an impact on the share price.
Bottom line
Food and drink stocks can be great investment opportunities – especially as they are often brands you come face-to-face with all the time. It can be exciting to invest in food and drinks brands that you enjoy.
The main risks of food and drink stocks are that they might not perform as well during recessions and the current supply issues. You might choose to invest in restaurants while we’re in an economic boom, then move them to stocks considered to produce consumer staples in recessions.
Browse all food and drink stock guides
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Zoe was a senior writer at Finder specialising in investment and banking, and during this time, she joined the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. She is currently a senior money writer at Be Clever With Your Cash. Zoe has a BA in English literature and a Diploma for Financial Advisers. She has several years of experience in writing about all things personal finance. Zoe has a particular love for spreadsheets, having also worked as a management accountant. In her spare time, you’ll find Zoe skating at her local ice rink.
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