Super Bowl Stocks: Playing The Ads

While exposure during the game won't make or break a stock, it's a strong litmus test for which companies resonate with the American public and which don't. Here are some publicly-traded companies that should get a nice boost from this year's Super Bowl.

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Few people watch the Super Bowl without an ice cold beer in hand. And Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) has long been a part of the Super Bowl.  Its Clydesdale ads, for instance, are a Super Bowl favorite.

Because Anheuser-Busch is such a major presence on the biggest television day of the year, its shares almost always rise in the weeks that follow. BUD shares have surged an average of 6% each of the last three Februarys. Expect a similar rise this year.

PepsiCo

PepsiCo (PEP), along with Coca-Cola, always have a huge Super Bowl presence. This year, however, Pepsi may have the edge – and it has to do with Beyonce.

Pepsi is sponsoring the halftime show, which this year will feature the lovely Ms. Knowles. In fact, it's actually called the Pepsi Halftime Show. That could give Pepsi a leg up in its annual battle for soft-drink supremacy – and may attract a few more investors than usual.

Automakers

No fewer than seven automakers will run ads during this year's Super Bowl. That kind of free spending is a sure sign – if not a collective battle cry – that the auto industry is back.

Publicly traded U.S. auto stocks are already on a major run as car sales have returned. General Motors (GM), Honda Motor Co. (HMC) and Toyota Motor (TM) shares have risen an average of 22% in the last year.

With healthy bottom lines again, those companies are sparing no expense in their efforts to attract customers. They're sure to attract plenty more after this Sunday.

Research in Motion

Remember Research in Motion (RIMM)? They're the makers of the BlackBerry, a cell phone that's so outdated it might as well be a rotary phone.

But here comes the BlackBerry 10, a new and improved smart phone platform the company plans to unveil in a Super Bowl commercial this Sunday.

With the stock already trading for less than a quarter of its February 2011 share price, it might be worth taking a flier on this bargain basement stock in case the BlackBerry 10 is a hit.

Word of the BlackBerry 10 unveiling has already given the stock a 40% boost since January 9. The Super Bowl commercial should at least extend this short-term rally.

CBSCorp.

The biggest Super Bowl winner may not be the Ravens, the 49ers or any of the dozens of companies whose ads will run, but the network that's airing the game. CBS (CBS) does the honor this year, and if it's anything like last year, the game should do wonders for its stock.

NBC aired last year's record-breaking game, prompting investors to snatch up shares of the network's parent company, Comcast.

After the New England Patriots and New York Giants attracted the largest audience in TV history, Comcast shares shot up 10% in less than three weeks. This year's game should have a similar impact on CBS shares.