“New Year: New You,” or so says every billboard advertising a gym. Whether its losing weight, getting fit or keeping better track of finances, January 1st represents the time when people start the process of assessing and revamping aspects of their lives. For investors whose New Year’s resolutions were to make more money, it may be worth considering investing in the stocks that profit from the most popular personal goals of the new year.
Weight Loss
With the sky high obesity rate in America it could be expected that weight loss would be among the primary foci of resolutions. Fatten your portfolio while people slim down by considering a position in Weight Watchers, Inc. (WTW) or NutriSystem (NTRI).
Quit Smoking
Among current adult smokers in the U.S., 68.8 percent report that they want to quit the habit completely according to a report from the CDC. With 46 million smokers across the nation, there’s a huge number of people prepared to kick the habit. Consider snapping up shares of Altria (MO), a top producer of smokeless tobacco products, one of the new favorites for quitters.
Budgeting
If the amount of credit card debt in the United States is any indication, it should be no surprise that Americans need to work on their budgeting. A common New Year’s Resolution, those looking to have a better handle on their money are likely flocking to sites like Mint.com, owned by Inuit (INTU), and Bankrate.com (RATE) right about now.
Finding a New Job
As of 2010, only about 45 percent of Americans were actually satisfied with their jobs. While no data is available for 2012, it’s likely that that percentage is even smaller. The desire to find a new career is rampant in the U.S. as Americans tire of positions they may have accepted during the depth of the recession. These job seekers are likely to head to Monster.com (MWW) or Robert Half (RHI) in an effort to acquire new positions. The role of LinkedIn (LNKD) in the job search is also on the rise. According to a recent survey from Simply Hired, 54 percent of respondents cited LinkedIn as the most effective social media utility when looking for a job. With such a huge percentage of Americans on hunting for new work these days, LinkedIn can probably expect a jump in traffic.
Meet Someone
It’s said that you can’t put a price on love, but you can certainly turn a profit. The number of people participating in online dating is rising by the day and its reflected in the share prices of IAC/InteractiveCorp. (IACI), the owners of Match.com and OKCupid. Shares of the company are near their 52-week high as more and more people are looking for love online. It also helps that for the first time, married Americans are in the minority, meaning more people are likely on the prowl.
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