Singles Day Stocks to Capitalize Off China’s Biggest Retail Holiday

Want to know how big Singles Day is in China? Total U.S. online sales on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday came out to around $25 billion last year.  But that’s only about a third of what Singles Day generated in sales for one company: Alibaba (NYSE: BABA). But before we look into ways to capitalize on this buying frenzy, let’s look into Singles Day’s history.

November 11 marks this unofficial Chinese holiday. But in reality, it’s more of a shopping day than a holiday… Not unlike Black Friday. The day was created to celebrate those who aren’t in a relationship. Think of it as the anti-Valentine’s Day. Instead of buying gifts for loved ones, celebrators treat themselves to a little something special. It’s akin to a typical Wednesday for a Kardashian. But on a larger scale.

The date was chosen to celebrate bachelorhood because the number 1 resembles a bare stick. And this is Chinese slang for an unmarried man. Legend has it that the unmarried man does not add branches to his family tree… So therefore, he’s like a stick. Additionally, four number ones abstractly refer to the demographic group of single people.

Despite the widespread recognition, Singles Day is a relatively new phenomenon. It was allegedly started at Nanjing University in 1993. From there, some conflicting theories persist as to how the holiday came about. It was either started by a group of four students that played mahjong together. Or it was started by a heartbroken man after his girlfriend died. Either way though, Singles Day has caught on in a huge way. And here are some ways to take advantage…

Singles Day Stocks to Pad Your Portfolio

5. Alibaba

One of the biggest names in e-commerce in all of China is Alibaba (NYSE: BABA). Jack Ma founded the company in 1999 and Alibaba’s IPO in 2014 was the largest in history at the time. It raised over $25 billion. And that gave the ever-growing retail giant a market value of $231 billion. It has since broken through the $500 billion valuation mark. And according to BrandZ magazine in China, it has the sixth-highest brand valuation. Alibaba is one of the biggest household names in the most populous country in the world. And that alone makes it one of the Singles Day stocks worth considering.

Alibaba has not only embraced Singles Day. The two have grown to become nearly synonymous. That’s how the company has come to sell billions of dollars-worth of goods in a single day. But it’s worth mentioning that when the company broke its sales record last year, the stock dropped by 10%. However, that was due to anti-competitive behavior rules that targeted Alibaba were drafted in Beijing. Nonetheless, those rules still hamper the stock to some extent. Next, we’ll look at another e-commerce giant that rivals Alibaba.

4. JD.com

Second only to Alibaba, JD.com (Nasdaq: JD) has a massive amount of transaction volume. Founded in 1998, its retail platform went online in 2004. Originally focusing its efforts as a magneto-optical store, it quickly diversified. And it now offers a wide selection of consumer goods including electronics, phones and computers. It also has the largest drone delivery system in the world and has begun operating driverless deliveries with its first autonomous truck.

These investments have paid off for the company. JD.com reported net revenue of $39 billion in the second quarter of 2021. That represents a 26.2% increase over the same quarter the previous year. And that’s without the benefit of the Singles Day spending spree. That’s what makes JD.com one of the best Singles Day stocks to buy right now.

3. Nike

Not all of the best Singles Day stocks are from China. But in the case of Nike (NYSE: NKE), that doesn’t make it any less worthwhile. E-commerce has fueled Nike’s growth in China. And Nike’s chief Executive John Donahoe has said that, “Nike is a brand that is of China and for China.” The company understands that in order to compete on a global scale, it has to stay relevant in China.

However, there have been small signs of backlash and small pockets of boycotts against the company in China. This is largely due to its stance on Xinjiang cotton. That being said, Nike remains the largest sports brand in all of China. And Athleisure wear continues to see vigorous growth all over the world. That’s why despite the small backlash, Nike is one of the best Singles Day stocks to invest in.