Ice cream stocks are far from the cool investment theme they were over the past century. But with global sales expected to exceed $130 billion within the next decade, ice cream takes a big scoop out of the global consumer's dessert budget. From grocery store sales to ice cream parlors, ice cream is a top impulse buy for consumers around the globe -- and a fiercely competitive industry.
Investing in ice cream stocks in 2025
Large conglomerates have acquired most of the ice cream brands in the freezers at our local supermarkets. There are few pure plays on ice cream, and it's far from a fast-growing industry. Nevertheless, if stable growth and income are among your goals, here are some ice cream stocks to consider.
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) | $1.1 trillion | 0.00% | Diversified Financial Services |
| Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) | $1.1 trillion | 0.00% | Diversified Financial Services |
| Nestlé (OTC:NSRGY) | $251.4 billion | 3.70% | Food Products |
| Unilever (NYSE:UL) | $148.0 billion | 3.37% | Personal Products |
| General Mills (NYSE:GIS) | $25.1 billion | 5.14% | Food Products |
| Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK) | $3.5 billion | 0.00% | Hotels, Restaurants and Leisure |
| McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) | $216.2 billion | 2.94% | Hotels, Restaurants and Leisure |
| Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (NASDAQ:RMCF) | $13.3 million | 0.00% | Food Products |
1. Berkshire Hathaway
NYSE: BRK.B
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Warren Buffett's massive business conglomerate has its hands in nearly every aspect of the economy. Although wholly owned insurance, industrial, and utility businesses feature heavily in the portfolio, so does ice cream, as Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A -0.14%) (BRK.B -0.37%) owns the fast-food chain Dairy Queen. (You can sometimes spot Buffett munching on a DQ cone or ice cream bar during public events.)
Of the companies on our list, Berkshire Hathaway stock is the least focused on ice cream. Even so, Dairy Queen is a top name in the business and can be an indirect investment with a scoop or two of Buffett's company.
2. Nestlé
OTC: NSRGY
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NYSE: UL
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4. General Mills
NYSE: GIS
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NYSE: SHAK
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6. McDonald's
NYSE: MCD
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7. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
NASDAQ: RMCF
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How to invest in ice cream stocks
If you want to invest in ice cream stocks, here are the steps you need to follow to add these companies to a diversified portfolio.
- Open your brokerage app: 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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