Stock market romance: profiting from Valentine’s Day?

Roses are red, violets are blue… Valentine’s Day is a powerful economic force. Can you share the love?

Valentine’s Day is big business. Consumers in the US alone spent an estimated $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2025 (source). That is a record amount. The British spent around £2.1 billion (source). And according to the most recent study available, Belgians spent around €80 million on Valentine’s Day in 2020 (source).

From flowers to jewellery, chocolates and luxury travel, romance is apparently stronger than recessions or inflation. In fact, Valentine’s spending has continued to rise year after year (source).

What investors want to know is, which companies are reaping the benefits of this annual spending frenzy? And could dating shares, which benefit from people’s yearning for love all year long, be a more attractive proposition?

Dating apps: from hype to recovery?

Only a few years ago, Wall Street loved dating shares. They soared under the pandemic’s influence. These days, however, investors’ infatuation has cooled considerably. The sector is dealing with declining numbers of users across the board. One big reason is that Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, appears much less enamoured with online dating than millennials (source).

A look at four big players

1. Match Group (MTCH)

The value of Match, parent company of Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and OkCupid, has already dropped by more than 80% compared to its peak in 2021. While the dating group was worth over $45 billion at the time, this figure stands at only $7.5 billion today (source: Bloomberg, situation as at 13 January 2026). Match Group is currently the ‘value’ option in its sector. The price/earnings ratio for the next 12 months (the forward price-to-earnings ratio or forward P/E) is 11.4, making it a relatively appealing share (source; situation as at 13 January 2026). This figure is based on analysts’ expectations and is not a guaranteed indication of future performance. Analysts believe the share has an upside potential of 16% (source, situation as at 13 January 2026).

2. Hello Group (MOMO)

Hello Group is a Chinese tech company that provides mobile-based social and entertainment services. It does so primarily via the Momo app, which is popular in Asia, and the dating app Tantan. The company combines traditional dating functionalities with short videos, chat options and other interactive features. Hello Group is a good share for contrarian investors. The expected price/earnings ratio for the next 12 months is 7.5, while analysts see an upside potential of 33% (source 1 and source 2; situation as at 13 January 2026). Hello Group has more net cash than debt (source).

3. Bumble (BMBL)

The US company Bumble is known for its Bumble and Badoo apps. Although Bumble has been listed since 2021, it has been struggling with disappointing user and revenue growth, leading to restructuring efforts. On its first trading day, the share surged above $75. It is currently trading at less than $4 (source: Bloomberg, situation as at 13 January 2026). The expected price/earnings ratio is only 3.85 (source; situation as at 13 January 2026), making the share appear very cheap. On paper, Bumble has an upside potential of 27% (source, situation as at 13 January 2026). This does come at a high risk. That makes Bumble an investment for people with the daring to bet on a possible comeback.

4. Grindr (GRND)

Grindr is an American dating and social networking app company that focuses on the LGBTQ+ community. Grindr shows the strongest growth in its sector. Nevertheless, the share did not stay on course. The share price dropped by nearly a quarter in 2025 (source). The expected price/earnings ratio is 22.5 (source; situation as at 13 January 2026), making it the most expensive share of these four options. Still, Grindr has an upside potential of 65% according to analysts (source, situation as at 13 January 2026).

Valentine’s shares: beyond flowers and chocolates

For those who prefer to focus on the actual annual Valentine’s Day peak, there are plenty of alternatives. Classic Valentine’s shares are businesses that benefit from increased consumer spending around 14 February. Do note that trying to benefit from a holiday usually isn’t the best strategy, as the market already takes such seasonal trends into account.

Flowers are the great perennial choice. Around 37% of Americans buy flowers for Valentine’s Day, amounting to revenue of $2.5 billion (source). The days leading up to Valentine’s Day are the busiest time of year for florists. 1-800-Flowers.com is one of only a few listed players.

Chocolates are also inextricably linked to Valentine’s Day. Belgian chocolatiers do very well during this period. Bois Sauvage, the holding company behind Neuhaus, even offers special Valentine’s collections. Worldwide, the biggest players are Hershey’s, Mondelez and Lindt & Sprüngli.

Jewellery and engagement rings are the purchases with the highest price tags. Engagement ring purchases around Valentine’s Day make for a profitable time for Signet Jewellers, owner of Kay Jewellers and Zales. Luxury brands such as Tiffany & Co. (part of LVMH), Pandora and other Richemont brands also benefit.

Valentine’s Day is a great driver of lingerie purchases. Van de Velde, the parent company of Marie Jo, Primadonna and Sarda, is listed on the Brussels stock exchange. Victoria’s Secret & Co. is another listed player.

Perfume companies are also an option, such as Estée Lauder, Interparfums, L’Oréal or Coty.

Champagne and wine should definitely be included in the list. LVMH, with brands such as Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, and Maison Pommery & Associes (Vranken-Pommery) both benefit from the demand for bubbles.

Travel and romantic weekend getaways to Paris or elsewhere are popular as well. Booking Holdings (Booking.com, Priceline), Marriott and Airbnb have been seeing more bookings for February each year.

Diversifying with ETFs

There are several interesting ETFs available for investors who want to benefit from the broader Valentine’s and luxury economy without focusing on individual shares. So-called Consumer Discretionary ETFs offer exposure to non-essential consumer goods. Luxury ETFs focus on luxury brands that benefit from gifting trends. The advantage of these ETFs is that they are not dependent on a single holiday, but benefit from structural trends in consumption and luxury purchases throughout the year.

Before investing, be sure to read up on the key features and risks of financial instruments.

Want to invest in Valentine’s shares or dating apps?

Log in at Keytradebank.be or open the app and search for the name of a specific share in which you want to invest, or use the terms ‘luxury’ or ‘discretionary’ for ETFs.