If the widely publicized Trump accounts come to fruition, the next generation of teenagers may have vastly different ideas on where to spend their money. But that’s an issue for 2036 or beyond. In 2026, it’s important for investors to pay attention to the brands that are capturing their eyeballs and their dollars.
An October 2025 survey from Piper Sandler shed some light on those questions. The firm surveyed over 10,000 themes, including which social media platforms Gen Z engages with, which influencers draw the most attention, and which brands they spend their dollars on.
The results aren’t that surprising, but they do provide a reason for investors to keep an eye on these stocks, particularly if the economy gets the tailwind many analysts expect.
Affordable Luxury Continues to Win With Gen Z
In an uneven landscape for retail stocks, Tapestry Inc. (NYSE: TPR) is a standout among teenagers. The company delivers the affordable luxury this generation wants, including brands such as Kate Spade New York and Coach. The latter is the top handbag brand among teenagers, with the Piper Sandler survey citing 43% of teens preferring Coach handbags.
TPR is up about 8% in 2026 but is still about 15% below its consensus price target of $161.22. The bigger story is that this is a continuation of a trend that’s been in place for at least the last five years.
In that time, the TPR stock price is up 225%. When you factor in the company’s dividend, the total return is above 250%.
The Kate Spade brand has been a drag on earnings, primarily due to tariff pressures. Those are expected to continue, albeit with some signs of abating for the remainder of 2026.
Investors may want to keep an eye on the valuation. The stock trades at around 20x forward earnings, which is a premium to its sector, though a discount to the S&P 500. Most importantly, it's a discount to the company's own historical average.
Everyday Value Keeps Teens Coming Back
The inclusion of McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) on this list is an example of following what consumers do, rather than what they say they’re going to do. The conventional wisdom is that Gen-Z has abandoned fast food in all its forms. But McDonald’s, along with Chick-fil-A, is one of the places where teenagers are dining.
With McDonald’s, it’s about everyday value. That will likely get a boost from the company’s foray into the craft soda and beverage space. It’s a reason beyond price to get teenagers to interact with the chain. It's also important to note that McDonald’s has gone all in on its mobile app with many franchises offering McDelivery, which takes another point of friction away from consumers.
MCD may be a strong asymmetric play. The stock is down about 10% in 2026, and it’s continued to fall despite a solid earnings report. Investors are concerned about the company’s guidance for the rest of 2026, which suggests low-income consumers remain pressured.
But MCD has a consensus price target of $334.45, which is about 20% upside from its price as of this writing. Plus, at 23x earnings, the company is attractively valued not only to itself but to the broader market. At a time when investors may look to ditch frothy stocks, MCD can be a stock to snack on.
Social Media Dominance Drives Teen Engagement
This is the first digitally native generation, and social media is where it lives. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) is perhaps best known for the Facebook platform, which used to be the company’s namesake. But it’s also the home of Instagram, and that’s where teenagers are hanging out.
To be fair, TikTok currently holds the number one spot, with 46% of respondents to the Piper Sandler survey listing it as their top platform. But Instagram was a solid number two at 31%.
In Meta’s most recent quarter, it generated over $56 billion in ad revenue, a 33% year-over-year increase. Equally importantly, the company’s platforms commanded a 12% increase in the average ad price.
Is that a good enough reason to own META, which comes with two significant headwinds? First, it’s on the leading edge of CapEx spending for the AI infrastructure buildout.
Second, like many other social media platforms, Meta Platforms will continue to be in the crosshairs of regulators, and not without reason.
But as of June 2, META is down about 6% in 2026 and is trading about 35% below its consensus price target of $840.60. Institutions also remain heavy buyers. META will always make headlines, and not always for good reasons, but if you can handle those risks, it’s a solid investment in the teen market.
The article "Gen Z Trends Make These 3 Stocks Worth Watching" first appeared on MarketBeat.
