Keep the Tail Wagging is supported by pet parents. I occasionally earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) when you click through an affiliate link to one of my favorite products. Thank you for your support. Read More
Last year, I opened my trading account for the first time and now have several pet industry stocks. I had no idea what to invest in, so I stuck with the obvious – Boeing. My first husband was a financial consultant, so I'm familiar with industry terms, but I don't know much about investing, so I decided to start with what I love – pets.
If this resonates with you, you'll enjoy this list of pet industry stocks I've curated using a simple Google search – hey, I said I don't know much, so please do not take this as financial advice.
1 – Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT)
I didn't buy this one because I'm not a fan of their food. Years ago, I wrote a blog post reviewing their food, and one thing I found on their site (at the time) was a claim that their food would last in the fridge for up to six months. Well, this sounded shady to me, so I wasn't comfortable feeding a food with such a long shelf life – what do they add to make it last this long? This and the reports of food with mold in it stopped me from investing in their company. But am I right?
But if you are looking at your investment account, this might be a good idea because Freshpet is now in grocery stores, and it's offering a “fresh” option for people heading towards the big bags of grocery store kibble. Regardless of how I feel about Freshpet in the past, I have no idea what their food is like today.
The last I saw, Freshpet was at $171 per share.
2 – JM Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM)
Did you know Smuckers owns 13 pet brands, including Milk-Bone, 9-Lives, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Natural Balance, Meow Mix, and Rachael Ray Nourish? I heard about their activity in a pet industry trade magazine. Obviously, this is a huge company that has been around for years, so they know the business, but does that mean I should invest? Do I want to support Milk-Bone and Meow Mix?
The last I saw, Smuckers was at $132 per share.
3 – Chewy.com (NYSE: CHWY)
Chewy.com is a no-brainer for me. This company is growing rapidly, and I see good things in the future. I began shopping via Chewy.com when I learned that there were many counterfeit products on Amazon, including fake Frontline and Cosequin DS Plus (joint supplement).
Fast shipping, great customer service, and a fantastic and expanding product line (including prescriptions) keep me a loyal customer, so I invested in Chewy.com.
The last I saw, Chewy.com was at $76 per share.
4 – General Mills, Inc. (NYSE: GIS)
Did you know that General Mills owns Blue Buffalo? I didn't know, which shows how out of touch I am with kibble. General Mills purchased Blue Buffalo back in 2018.
Interestingly, General Mills is connected with Nestle, which is Purina, which owns Blue Buffalo. These kibble companies are absorbing each other and becoming giants, making this a great investment.
I won't invest in General Mills at the moment because I don't support the brands they own. And if I don't buy their products for my dogs, then do I really want to invest in the company?
The last I saw, General Mills was at $62 per share.
5 – Trupanion (NYSE: TRUP)
Trupanion is one of the biggest pet insurance companies in the country. I have Trupanion for Rodrigo, but I can't afford this plan for all my dogs. Their deductible is too high, and their premiums are too high – but the coverage and customer service almost make the higher price tag worth it. Almost. Because of this, I invested in Trupanion because I think it's a good company.
The last I saw, Trupanion was at $77 per share.
6 – PetIQ (NYSE: PETQ)
PetIQ is a company that sells medications for pets, partnering with Walmart, Target, and other giant retail outlets. What I like about PetIQ is that it offers a space for pet parents to order prescription and over-the-counter medication at an affordable price. I've found that it's less expensive to go this route – shopping for meds online instead of buying through my veterinarian. Also, pet parents don't have to worry about counterfeit medications when they shop through PetIQ.
The last I saw, PetIQ was at $30 per share.
7 – PetMed Express (NYSE: PETS)
Like Pet IQ, PetMed Express offers online sales of medications. You may have heard of them – 1-800-Pet-Meds. It was a no-brainer for me to invest in this company because I used to work with them regularly in my early days as a pet blogger. Not only do they offer prescription medication, but you can buy all manners of pet supplies, treats, and more. They also have a very informative blog I envy because they are killing it in the rankings.
The last I saw, PetMed Express was at $30 per share.
What About Medical/Pharmaceutical Stocks?
While I appreciate science and the medical and pharmaceutical communities, I don't feel comfortable profiting from vaccinations. I know these industries offer more than vaccinations – they produce medications that help our pets. I just wish the same amount of time and money were invested in alternative, natural, holistic medicine and fresh food diets.
So while this sector of pet industry stocks can be profitable in the long run, I'm waiting for a company that values both traditional AND holistic medicine before I start investing.
Getting Started in the Stock Market
I went with E*Trade. Years ago, I spoke with a broker for the company and immediately saw how easy it would be to set up an account and start playing the stock market. What I like about E*Trade is that I can manage everything myself from the comfort of my home, walk into an office and speak with professionals, and take advantage of their library of educational material to learn more.
Of course, there are alternatives to E*Trade; personally, I've been curious about the Robinhood app and Ameritrade myself.
There are a lot of stocks that are insanely expensive for us newbies so that I won't be buying shares of Apple, Facebook, or Google. Instead, I focus on businesses I frequent in person or online. And if I can afford a couple of shares, then I buy, buy, buy.
What About Bitcoin?
Reading about people paying off high debt balances with their earnings from trading Bitcoin piqued my interest. However, I think I missed the boat on Bitcoin, and I'm okay with that. I don't have the space in my brain or the time in my busy schedule to learn a new subject. Right now, my focus is on my investment account.
