6 Consumer Stocks to Love

This article originally appeared on Traders Reserve.

Love is in the air … and so are dollars. This Hallmark-invented holiday puts the pressure on consumers to spend on flowers, cards, jewelry, meals and more. And a number of corporations are counting on Valentine’s Day sales to boost the traditional winter sales blues since the Christmas buying rush ended in early January.

We believe there are number of consumer stocks that are likely to win their way into our hearts. These are names that many Americans still hold near and dear. And while these stocks have already been rewarded with appreciating prices over the past year, they are well-positioned to continue to ride the market up.

Here are six of the best stock picks to fall in love with this Valentine’s Day.

Hershey

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) known worldwide for its chocolate bars is a perfect Valentine’s gift for everyone, young and old. Flowers and candy have been a favorite gift of this holiday, and Hershey continues to benefit from American’s love of chocolate. And investors are in love with Hershey’s stock, which is up a steady 33% over the past year.

The company just announced fourth-quarter earnings that were in-line with analyst estimates and the company increased its dividend. What’s not to like about this sweet stock?

Estee Lauder

Women everywhere recognize The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) for their skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. What better way to impress the lady in your life on Valentine’s Day than a gift from Estee Lauder.

Women love their products and analysts love their performance as the company continues to beat estimates quarter after quarter. Up 67% in the past year, EL continues to be a stock that men and women alike could “fall in love” with again and again.

Netflix

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, doesn’t mean everyone is heading out for dinner to celebrate. Many couples young and old will stay home and opt for a diner and a movie, and that’s why Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) has continued to thrive in this environment.

Given up for dead several years ago, Netflix reinvented its business model and investors approved, driving the stock price up a whopping 260% in the past 12 months. Analysts are still bullish as their streaming video delivery business is catching on, so continue to expect big moves from this “love story.”