Don't be Spooked by Tariffs: Enjoy 4 Stock & ETF Treats on Halloween

Halloween is no longer a spooky event. It’s not just about kids dressing up as ghosts and ghouls and going trick-or-treating. Halloween has transformed into more of a party time. Per NRF, Halloween spending in 2025 is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion, after last year’s expected value of $11.6 billion, $12.2 billion outlays in 2023 and 2022’s spending of $10.6 billion.

About 73% of consumers plan to celebrate this day in 2025, slightly up from 72% in 2024. Most Halloween shoppers (79%) believe prices will be higher this year due to tariffs. Per-person spending is likely to be a record high of $114.45, nearly $11 more than last year and up from the previous record of $108.24 in 2023, per NRF.

Enthusiasm has been noticed among early shoppers as they are looking forward to the fall season (44%), avoiding the stress of last-minute shopping (33%) or because Halloween is one of their favorite holidays (37%), per NRF.

As retailers brace for the holiday season, many plan to boost sales early by flaunting a wider assortment of Halloween merchandise. The enthusiasm around Halloween this year should also come on the heels of low interest rates due to the Fed rate cuts that started in September.

The top ways that consumers plan to celebrate include handing out candy (66% in 2025 versus 67% in 2024 68% in 2023 and 67% in 2022), decorating their home or yard (51% in both 2025, 52% in 2024, 53% in 2023 and 51% in 2022), dressing up in costume (51% versus 49% in 2024, 50% in 2023 and 47% in 2022), and throwing or attending a Halloween party (32% versus 29% in 2024, 32% in 2023 and 28% in 2022), per NRF. About 46% will carve a pumpkin, higher than last year’s 43%.

Stock Picks

Hershey HSY

Candy and chocolate sales are hot leading up to Halloween.Spending on candy is expected to reach $3.9 billion (per NRF). Hershey Company is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America as well as a global leader in chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery. HSY has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

The TJX Companies TJX

Discount stores (42%) are expected to become the go-to shopping place to buy Halloween items, up from 37% buyers they saw last year. TJX is a leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. Cash-strapped consumers amid tariff tensions may find discount retailers an apt shopping destination this year. TJX has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Home Depot HD

Total spending on decorations is expected to hit $4.2 billion. About 78% plan to purchase decorations, up from 75% last year, per NRF. Zacks Rank #2 Home Depot often loads a wide range of spooky lawn ornaments, including giant mummies and skeletons.

Amazon AMZN

About 31% of consumers will buy Halloween-related products online. As Halloween approaches, Amazon offers a variety of deals and discounts on costumes and decorations. Yesterday, Amazon also came up with upbeat earnings. The AMZN stock rose 13.1% after market on Oct. 30, 2025, post earnings. Currently, Amazon has a Zacks Rank #2.

ETF Picks

VanEck Vectors Retail ETF RTH

The underlying MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index tracks the overall performance of companies involved in retail distribution, wholesalers, online, direct mail and TV retailers, multi-line retailers, specialty retailers and food and other staples retailers. The ETF RTH has a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF XLY

The underlying Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the consumer discretionary sector of the S&P 500 Index. The Zacks Rank #3 ETF is heavy on Amazon (20.46% weight), followed by Home Depot (6.33% weight).

Global X Social Media ETF SOCL

Consumers will look for the perfect costume ideas online. Pinterest, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram and Alphabet’s YouTube are some platforms where people search for Halloween ideas. So, the online ETF SOCL is highly in focus now. Currently, the ETF SOCL has a Zacks Rank #2.

ProShares Online Retail ETF ONLN

Due to consumers’ increased interest in online shopping, this ETF deserves specific mention. The ProShares Online Retail Index is a specialized retail index that tracks retailers that principally sell online or through other non-store channels.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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