It’s that time of year, the time when football fans rejoice as the NFL season is set to return and once again their favorite team has Super Bowl aspirations, whether real or imagined. The 2021 season begins on Thursday, Sept. 9, as the world champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys battle in the 2021 NFL Kickoff Game. That will be followed by 14 games on Sunday, capped by Rams vs. Bears on Sunday Night Football, and then Ravens vs. Raiders on Monday Night Football.

Not only are NFL fans ready to root for their favorite team, but with a far more normal season on tap than the pandemic-cursed 2020 season, which featured empty stadiums and, in some cases, fake crowd noise. Some of America’s top companies are also fired up for the return of full stadiums, tailgating parties and sports bars and sports books full of cheering fans.

Five top companies could see a direct benefit from the season opening up, and their shares are rated Buy across Wall Street. They look like ideal picks for investors looking to add growth stocks with a solid tailwind. It is important to remember that no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision.

Anheuser Busch

This is the company that sells the most beer in the world, and you can bet that fans will be buying staggering amounts of their very popular brands this season. Anheuser Busch Inbev S.A./N.V. (NYSE: BUD) engages in the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks worldwide.

The company offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, including Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Michelob Ultra. Other brands include Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin and Skol.

The stock was hit hard in July after a so-so second-quarter earnings report. Given the strong brand strength, with Bud light leading the way, this stock has rebounded from pullbacks comparable to the one in place now, and the risk-reward at the current trading level is outstanding.

Investors receive just a 0.72% dividend. Jefferies has a giant $89 price target on Anheuser Busch stock. The consensus target is $78.22, and the last trade for Wednesday was reported at $62.29 a share.

This well-known old-school gaming company has massive sportsbooks to attract NFL and college gambling aficionados. Caesars Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ: CZR) provides casino-entertainment and hospitality services, primarily under the Harrah’s, Caesars, Horseshoe and Eldorado brand names.

Its facilities include gaming offerings, food and beverage outlets, hotel and convention space, and non-gaming entertainment options. Caesars Entertainment is one of the largest gaming companies in the world and currently owns or operates 50 casino properties in 13 states and in four other countries.

Also the largest casino company in the United States, Caesars Entertainment, recently bought a minority stake in fantasy sports platform, SuperDraft. Caesars has the option to increase its stake to 100% over time at predetermined levels. SuperDraft will join the Caesars online brands, which include World Series of Poker, Caesars Online Casino and William Hill, and it will become part of Caesars’ single wallet solution that allows members more options to play games both live and online.

Stifel recently boosted its price target to $130 from $125, and the consensus target is $126.91. Caesars Entertainment stock ended Wednesday’s trading at $101.89.

DraftKings

This is a sector leader, and fantasy football is a huge winner for the company, in addition to gambling.

DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) operates as a digital sports entertainment and gaming company. It provides users with daily sports, sports betting and iGaming opportunities. It also is involved in the design and development of sports betting and casino gaming platform software for online and retail sportsbook and casino gaming products.

The company entered the market in April 2020 at a time when most companies were putting off their initial public offerings. The offering was not an IPO in the truest sense because DraftKings came public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company called Diamond Eagle, but similar rules applied, a practice that has grown exponentially since then.

The company announced last month that it is buying the online gambling subsidiary of Golden Nugget in a stock deal valued at $1.56 billion. The acquisition of Golden Nugget Online Gaming gives Boston-based DraftKings a well-known brand in the casino and gambling world and adds more than 5 million customers to the DraftKings iGaming accounts.

Needham started coverage last month and has a $73 price target. That compares with the $70.80 consensus target on DraftKings stock and Wednesday’s closing print of $60.21.

This top consumer staples pick will be supplying the goods for tailgating and football watch parties around the country. PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) operates as a food and beverage company worldwide. Its Frito-Lay North America segment offers Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips; Doritos, Tostitos and Santitas tortilla chips; and Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, branded dips and Fritos corn chips.

The Quaker Foods North America segment provides Quaker oatmeal, grits, rice cakes, natural granola and oat squares, as well as the recently name-changed Aunt Jemima mixes and syrups, and Quaker Chewy granola bars, Cap’n Crunch cereal, Life cereal and Rice-A-Roni side dishes.

PepsiCo’s North America Beverages segment offers beverage concentrates, fountain syrups and finished goods under the Pepsi, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Aquafina, Tropicana Pure Premium, Sierra Mist and Mug brands, as well as ready-to-drink tea and coffee, and juices.

Shareholders receive a 2.75% dividend. The $172 Morgan Stanley price target is well above the $165.55 consensus figure. PepsiCo stock closed at $157.91 on Wednesday.

ViacomCBS

With the top broadcasting crew of Jim Nantz and former NFL Quarterback Tony Romo, millions of viewers will be tuning in each week to follow their favorite teams on the network. ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC) is an American multinational media conglomerate based in New York City. It was formed via the re-merger of CBS and the second incarnation of Viacom on December 4, 2019, the two of which were created from the split of the original Viacom in 2005.

ViacomCBS’s portfolio of brands include the CBS network, TV production studio, international broadcast networks, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, TV Land, Showtime, Simon & Schuster, Paramount Pictures and Pluto TV.

The stock was absolutely hammered in the spring as a result of the selling generated by the implosion of hedge fund Archegos Capital Management, which was massively leveraged and was forced to sell stock to cover margin calls. ViacomCBS was one of the stocks they were forced to sell. That, combined with a large secondary offering, put a big dent in the shares. The stock has traded sideways since April and could be poised to move much higher.

Investors receive a 2.32% dividend. Wells Fargo has set its price objective at $50, and though the consensus target is $51.96. ViacomCBS stock closed most recently at $41.41 per share.

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The stars are aligned for football-starved fans across the country, and these top companies also will benefit from a massive and popular college football schedule as well, which started last weekend and begins in earnest on Saturday. After a disappointing 2020, this year, even with some continuing restrictions, is looking to be a much bigger and better season all around.

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