This sector comprises companies whose businesses are less sensitive to economic cycles. It includes manufacturers and distributors of food, beverages and tobacco and producers of non-durable household goods and personal products. This sector includes some of the world’s most well-known and largest companies, such as Target, Wal-Mart Stores, and Coca-Cola.
Stocks in the consumer staples sector, which are holistically represented by the iShares US Consumer Goods ETF (IYK), have broadly outperformed the market as IYK has provided investors with a return of 32.37% over the past 12 months, below the S&P 500’s total returns of 32.38%.
Remember, consumer staple products can be spread across a range of consumer staple companies. This is why you must look into individual stocks, dividend yields or even a consumer staple ETF to get all the information you need. Organic sales growth is common, and consumer staples businesses often have more leeway to draw in consumers even during trying economic times.
Even under strenuous economic conditions, products you use in everyday life tend to propel their marketers forward much further than other sectors fo the economy. Here are the top consumer staples stocks with the highest growth, greatest value, strongest momentum, and most searches on Google.
Best Consumer Staple Stocks Right Now
Stock Movers
Gainers
Ticker | Company | ±% | Buy Stock | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TGT | Target | $134.37 | 1.48% | 6M | Buy/Sell | |
HSY | Hershey | $172.02 | 0.89% | 2M | Buy/Sell | |
KR | Kroger | $62.22 | 0.63% | 4.5M | Buy/Sell | |
GIS | General Mills | $64.11 | 0.58% | 3.9M | Buy/Sell | |
KMB | Kimberly-Clark | $132.75 | 0.43% | 2.1M | Buy/Sell | |
PG | Procter & Gamble | $169.49 | 0.32% | 6.8M | Buy/Sell | |
UL | Unilever | $57.31 | 0.21% | 2.1M | Buy/Sell | |
BUD | Anheuser-Busch InBev | $50.47 | 0.15% | 1.9M | Buy/Sell | |
EL | Estee Lauder Cos | $75.14 | 0.08% | 4.9M | Buy/Sell | |
PEP | PepsiCo | $152.84 | 0.01% | 5.9M | Buy/Sell |
Loser
Ticker | Company | ±% | Buy Stock | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MO | Altria Group | $52.63 | -1.58% | 7.7M | Buy/Sell | |
PM | Philip Morris Intl | $121.84 | -0.88% | 5.2M | Buy/Sell | |
KO | Coca-Cola | $62.61 | -0.37% | 16.1M | Buy/Sell | |
WMT | Walmart | $92.37 | -0.34% | 15.9M | Buy/Sell | |
COST | Costco Wholesale | $956.97 | -0.2% | 1.9M | Buy/Sell | |
MNST | Monster Beverage | $52.45 | -0.12% | 5.6M | Buy/Sell | |
CL | Colgate-Palmolive | $92.32 | -0.08% | 4.5M | Buy/Sell |
For more stock picks check out these stocks to watch:
What are Consumer Staple Stocks?
Consumer staple stocks are stocks of companies that produce and sell essential products that consumers use on a daily basis, regardless of the economic conditions. These products are considered necessities and are typically non-discretionary, meaning that consumers continue to purchase them even during economic downturns.
Consumer staple stocks are known for their stability and consistent demand, making them less sensitive to market fluctuations compared to other sectors. Examples of consumer staple products include food and beverages, household goods, personal care products, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals.
Types of Consumer Staples Stocks
The categories of consumer staples stocks are as follows:
- Food and Beverage Companies: This category includes companies that produce and sell food and beverages, such as grocery stores, packaged food manufacturers, and beverage companies.
- Personal Care Products: Companies in this category produce and sell personal care products, such as toiletries, cosmetics, and hygiene products.
- Household Products: This category includes companies that produce and sell household items, such as cleaning products, home appliances, and home improvement products.
- Tobacco Companies: This category includes companies that produce and sell tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars.
- Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Companies in this category produce and sell non-alcoholic beverages, such as soft drinks, juices, and bottled water.
- Retailers: This category includes companies that operate retail stores and sell consumer staples products, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and drugstores.
- Personal Products: Companies in this category produce and sell personal products, such as clothing, footwear, and accessories.
- Pharmaceuticals: This category includes companies that produce and sell pharmaceutical products, such as prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
- Household Durables: Companies in this category produce and sell durable household goods, such as appliances, furniture, and electronics.
- Paper and Packaging: This category includes companies that produce and sell paper products, such as packaging materials, tissue paper, and cardboard.
Best Online Stock Brokers
If you’re wondering how to take the next step and invest, here are some of the best stock brokers to get started. Remember, you should look into the broader market, try a broker you prefer and consider the market share of each firm as you increase your decrease the additional shares you’re holding. You want to work with a broker who can help you make the most of your investments. Moreover, you need to feel comfortable using the broker’s site or app so that you don’t feel lost when spending your hard-earned money.
- Best For:Active and Global TradersVIEW PROS & CONS:Securely through Interactive Brokers’ website
- Best For:Global Broker for Short SellingVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through TradeZero's website
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are consumer staples defensive stocks?
Consumer staples are considered defensive stocks because they are products that people need and use on a daily basis, regardless of the economic conditions. Even during economic downturns or recessions, people still need to purchase essential items, making consumer staples stocks less susceptible to fluctuations in consumer spending. s.
Is Starbucks a consumer staple?
Yes, Starbucks can be considered a consumer staple. Starbucks, being a popular and well-known coffee chain, falls into this category as people often view their coffee as a daily necessity and are willing to spend money on it even during economic downturns.
Is Coca-Cola a consumer staple or discretionary?
Coca-Cola can be considered a consumer staple.
Methodology
To create a specific set of companies and their respective stocks that fall under a certain criteria, we utilized a screener to examine the top stocks under each criteria. For value companies, we analyzed the companies with the lowest forward P/E, current P/E, and P/E/G multiples; for growth companies, we analyzed high earnings and revenue growth - weighing them equally; for momentum, we looked at price growth in the past 52 weeks; for trending tech, we examined the stocks with the highest percent of search increment on Benzinga.
About Luke Jacobi
Luke Jacobi is a distinguished professional known for his role as President at Benzinga, a renowned financial media outlet. With a background in business operations and management, Luke brings valuable expertise to his position, overseeing various aspects of Benzinga’s operations. His contributions play a crucial role in the company’s success, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness across different departments. Prior to his role at Benzinga, Luke has held positions that have honed his skills in leadership and strategic decision-making. With a keen understanding of the financial industry and a commitment to driving innovation, Luke continues to make significant contributions to Benzinga’s mission of providing high-quality financial news and analysis.