Can you buy stock in Mars?

You can't buy stock in Mars. It's a privately held company controlled by the Mars family.

Is Mars a publicly traded company?

Mars is not a publicly traded company. It's a privately held company controlled by the Mars family.

The Mars family owns all of Mars' stock and controls the company.

Can You Invest in Mars Pre-IPO?

Can You Invest in Mars in 2026? Everything You Need to Know

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated Jul 26, 2026 at 9:15 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Mars, a family-owned company, purchased Kellanova to double snacking division size by 2035.
Despite $55 billion revenue in 2025, Mars remains private, eschewing public investment.
While Mars shares aren't available, investors can consider similar stocks or food-focused ETFs.

Mars has been a family-owned company for more than a century. The company started out selling candy and has since grown into one of the country's largest privately held companies.

Someone eating a piece of chocolate. — Image source: Getty Images.

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IPO

IPO (Initial Public Offering) is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public, making it a publicly traded entity.

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Is Mars publicly traded?

Mars is not a publicly traded company. It has been privately held by the Mars family since Franklin Mars founded it in 1911. Mars is one of the country's largest private companies. According to Forbes, Mars produced the fourth-highest revenue among private companies in 2025, at $55 billion.

When will Mars IPO?

Mars didn't have an IPO on the calendar in mid-2026 and won't likely complete one anytime soon. Mars has remained a privately held company for over a century, which seems likely to continue.

The company has said it wants to remain family-owned and private because that allows it to pursue its growth strategy and invest for the long term without catering to outside shareholders.

Is Mars profitable?

As a family-owned company, Mars doesn't need to disclose its financial results publicly, so we don't know exactly how much money it makes each year. However, we do know the company generates significant revenue. Mars had revenue of around $55 billion as of mid-2025, more revenue than beverage giant Coca-Cola (KO +0.36%) produced.

We also know the company is solidly profitable. On its website, the company wrote about the role of profit, stating, "The freedom of Mars depends on the creation of profit. Because Mars is profitable and generates cash, we need not borrow money to the extent that we might lose control over our affairs."

Mars' strong profitability is a big reason it has remained private throughout the years. It doesn't need capital from outside investors to fund its growth.

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Alternatives to Mars stock

Mars is a private, family-owned company, so you can't buy shares in a brokerage account. You also can't buy shares on a secondary market for pre-IPO companies.

However, while you can't buy Mars stock, you can invest in stocks of similar companies. Here are three companies like Mars operating in the consumer discretionary industry.

Hershey

Hershey (HSY -0.48%) shares many similarities with Mars. It, too, started making chocolate and sweets as a family company over a century ago. It has since grown into a large global snack company by launching new products and acquiring other brands.

Hershey rang up $11.7 billion in 2025 revenue, a 4.4% increase from the previous year. It's also very profitable and generates excess cash, a portion of which it returns to investors via a steadily growing dividend.

Nestle

Swiss food and beverage company Nestle (NSRGY +1.16%) has more than 2,000 brands across many categories, including chocolate and confectionery, drinks, and pet care. The company invests heavily in research and development (R&D) to create innovative new products.

It also routinely acquires brands to expand its reach. The investments help increase Nestle's revenue and earnings, allowing it to grow shareholder value.

Freshpet

Freshpet (FRPT +1.38%) makes fresh, real food for cats and dogs. It blends fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits it sources from local growers and prepares in small batches so the food retains its freshness. The company generated $1.1 billion in revenue in 2025, a 13% increase from the previous year.

Investors who want to buy one of these Mars alternatives can purchase shares in any brokerage account. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to invest in stocks like Mars.

How to buy stocks similar to Mars

Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

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ETFs options

Many investors would prefer to invest passively rather than actively manage a portfolio of stocks. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) make that easy.

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Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once.

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Mars isn't publicly traded, so you can't get passive exposure to its stock through an ETF. However, you can invest in ETFs focused on food stocks to capitalize on the same trends driving Mars' growth. Some of the top food ETFs to consider are:

First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF (FTXG +0.57%): The ETF aims to provide investors with exposure to the U.S. food and beverage industry. It held shares of 30 companies in mid-2026, including Hershey (which accounted for 3.05% of the fund's assets). The fund charges investors an ETF expense ratio of 0.6%.
Invesco Food & Beverage ETF (PBJ +0.43%): This ETF provides investors with access to the U.S. food and beverage industry through a single fund. It held shares of 31 companies in late 2025, with Hershey as its seventh-largest holding at 4.54% of its assets. The fund had a total expense ratio of 0.61%.

The bottom line on Mars

Mars is one of the largest privately held companies in the country. The family-owned confectionery and pet care company will likely remain private because it doesn't need outside capital, and the family doesn't want to cede control to outsiders.

Although public investors can't own a stake in the company, there are several ways to invest in the same trends that have enabled Mars to grow into a leading company.

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Investing in Mars FAQ

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About the Author

Matt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock analyst specializing in the energy, industrials, and real estate sectors since 2012. He also covers dividend-paying stocks, pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.

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@MatthewDiLallo

Matt DiLallo has positions in Coca-Cola and Hershey. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Freshpet and Hershey. The Motley Fool recommends Nestlé. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Can You Invest in Mars in 2026? Everything You Need to Know

Key Points

IPO

Is Mars publicly traded?

When will Mars IPO?

Is Mars profitable?