Companies set to win big this Valentine’s Day

By Staci West on 9 February 2026 in Equities

It’s the most romantic date on the calendar! But which companies and funds will benefit from the outpouring of love on February 14th?

Loved-up basics

Let’s start with the bare minimum: cards, chocolates and flowers. There are plenty of outlets, but a popular destination for shoppers will be the supermarket chain J Sainsbury. This is the fourth-largest holding in the Schroder Income fund*, which invests in companies that are valued at less than their true worth. It’s a UK equity income fund with an emphasis on absolute returns. The goal is to balance dividend yield, dividend growth, and balance sheet safety. The fund also invests in energy giant Shell* for those really forgetful partners who need to get something quick!

Netflix and chill

Cosier and cheaper than battling through town to pitch up in a restaurant with hundreds of other loved-up diners. Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for US company DoorDash, which offers online food ordering and delivery services. Baillie Gifford American invests in this business and also has a position in another staple of a night in: Netflix*. The subscription-based streaming giant has a huge library of romantic movies.

A taste of luxury

Luxury items will come high up the list of ideal gifts for Valentine’s Day, and Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, better known as Richemont, is a prime beneficiary. The Swiss company, which sells high-end jewellery, watches and leather goods from iconic brands, is held by the Fidelity European fund*. This is a core European equity fund with a disciplined and cautious long-term approach. The team generally looks for companies that can grow their dividends over time. Closer to home is the Burberry fashion brand, a holding in the VT Tyndall Unconstrained UK Income fund**. This is a high-conviction mid-cap-focused UK income fund.

Two more gift alternatives

Elsewhere, the Morgan Stanley Global Brands fund invests in L’Oréal*, the global company that sells a dizzying array of cosmetics and beauty products. This is a high concentration fund of only 25-30 high-quality companies.

Romance literature is one of the divisions of Bloomsbury Publishing, which is arguably best known for the Harry Potter books. The UK-based publishing house is a holding in the Premier Miton Tellworth UK Smaller Companies fund, which puts meeting company management teams at the heart of its investment process.

Last year, Alexandra Jackson, manager of the Rathbone UK Opportunities fund, told us more about Bloomsbury’s ability to thrive in the digital era and what makes it such an attractive investment.

Weekend breaks and holidays

For those with a bit more money to spend, how about a holiday or short break? The WS Amati UK Listed Smaller Companies fund, led by Dr Paul Jourdan, is a good place to start. It invests in Trainline, which sells rail and coach tickets, and Jet2*, the airline and holiday company that flies to 75 destinations across Europe. The fund is managed by a highly experienced team of small-cap specialists and typically holds a concentrated portfolio of 65 to 70 companies.

For longer-haul trips, there’s always International Consolidated Airlines. This is the parent of British Airways and Iberia, among others, and is held by the Artemis UK Select fund*. This is a high-conviction, multi-cap UK equity fund run for more than a decade by two very experienced managers, Ed Leggett and Ambrose Faulks.

Of course, if your budget for romance is high, then you could consider treating that special person to a luxury cruise. Carnival is one of the biggest names in this sector. It’s one of the largest holdings in the IFSL Marlborough Multi-Cap Growth fund*, which takes an unconstrained approach and invests in small, medium and large UK companies.

Other beneficiaries

There are also a lot of other companies that can benefit from a Valentine’s Day spending boom, and these include Alphabet, which owns Google. It’s where most searches will probably start. Alphabet is one of the holdings in the Guinness Global Innovators fund*, which positions itself to be at the forefront of innovation. It has a bias toward growth investing.

Amazon will also be the destination of choice for many people. The global retail giant is the go-to option for virtually every gift imaginable. You can get access to this company via the T. Rowe Price US Large Cap Growth Equity fund*. This invests in major US firms that can demonstrate innovation and change.

Paying for it all

Then there are the payment companies. Visa is one of the world’s largest, with its network capable of handling more than 65,000 transactions per second***. Visa is a holding in the Brown Advisory US Flexible Equity fund*. This portfolio, led by Maneesh Bajaj, is one of the few that have regularly outperformed the S&P 500 over long periods.

Another portfolio to consider is the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. This invests in Stripe*, a payments technology company that processes payments for e-commerce businesses. They also hold Shopify*, a global e-commerce system that enables people to set up their own retail business without needing technical skills.

*Source: fund factsheet, 31 December 2025

**Source: fund factsheet, 31 January 2026

***Source: Visa, June 2018