Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Tesla among social media’s favorite stocks to invest in, new study finds

The entertainment giant has the highest number of videos published and viewed, and the most hashtags used across TikTok and Instagram.

The findings come from a new study by online trading provider City Index, which analysed every company in the S&P 500 based on how much content on their stocks and shares had been created and viewed on TikTok and Instagram.

The study revealed that there have been 80 million views of videos with the hashtag of #disneystock, #disneystocks, or #disneyshares, the highest amount out of all the 500 companies that were included in the in-depth analysis.  Those views have come from 6,151 videos – also the largest amount in the study – as creators discuss the company’s financial performance, and whether it is a good time to invest in the stock.

In total there are 44,177 hashtags related to Disney stocks and shares, and the company’s share price has been around $85 in recent weeks. It is down more than $100 from its all-time high above $200 in March 2021, which came after California health officials confirmed theme parks would be allowed to reopen as COVID restrictions eased.

The second most popular stock on social media is Netflix, which has more than 13 million video views on TikTok and Instagram. The global streaming service is the subject of 1,384 videos about its financial performance, with 4,635 hashtags mentioning #netflixstock, #netflixstocks or #netflixshares.

Netflix shuttered its mail order DVD business at the end of September, and its most recent earnings report revealed it had added 5.9 million new subscribers in the second quarter of 2023. The company’s stock price is currently around $380, which is down from its all-time high in November 2021, when it peaked just above $690.

Amazon places third in the ranking with more than 5.9 million video views about its stocks and shares, along with 17,278 hashtags, and 725 published videos. The company reported that for the second quarter of 2023, ended 30 June, it had net sales of $134.4 billion, while its share price has steadily risen this year, and is currently around $128.

Social media’s fourth most popular stock is Tesla, which has 739 videos dedicated to it on TikTok and Instagram. They have received more than two million views, while there are 1,898 hashtags related to the electric car company’s stocks and shares. Tesla’s share price is around $260 and it has a market capitaliszation of $813 billion, which is the second highest out of the companies in the top five, behind Amazon on $1.32 trillion.

Fifth in the social media stocks ranking goes to Walmart, with more than 4.7 million views of videos discussing its financial performance, along with 2,570 dedicated hashtags.

The top ten is rounded out by Costco in sixth, Microsoft in seventh, 3M in eighth, Nike in ninth and Starbucks in tenth.

Commenting on the figures, a spokesperson for City Index said: “This data paints a fascinating picture of which companies’ financial performance attracts the most interest, excitement and discussion on social media. The companies at the top of the list are some of the biggest brands in the world, which highlights how the general public are most comfortable approaching the complex world of the stock market through the businesses and brands with which they are most familiar.

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“The strong appetite for advice and guidance on trading is demonstrated by the fact that videos on the top ten companies in the list have more than 117 million views in total. As trading continues to become more accessible to people who aren’t working in the finance industry, and following the rise of so called ‘meme stocks’ over the past two years, it will be interesting to see how the discussion of the best trading and investment opportunities continues to develop on social media.”

The study was conducted by City Index, an award-winning, multi-asset financial services provider with 40 years’ experience in supporting clients – providing instant and secure access to global markets.