Consumer staples stocks are not going away. These companies are essential to our daily life and do well even if the economy is waning. But investing in consumer staples stocks may not suit every type of investor in Australia.
What are consumer staples stocks?
The consumer staples sector is one of the stock market’s 11 sectors and is sometimes called the consumer defensive sector. It includes companies that produce goods and services that people need daily, such as food, clothing, and household and personal care products. This category also includes alcohol and tobacco.
Consumer staples stocks are goods that are always in demand. Consumers generally buy these products regardless of their financial situation or economic stability.
What industries does it include?
Consumer staples stocks can be broken down into the following six industries:
Beverages. Brewers, wineries, distillers and soft drink producers.
Food and staples. Companies that distribute and sell food and pharmaceutical drugs to other companies.
Food products. This industry encompasses all agricultural goods, and packaged foods and meats.
Household products. These companies sell non-durable household essentials, like detergent, soap and diapers.
Personal products. Manufacturers of personal health care and beauty products.
Tobacco. Those that grow and sell tobacco products, like cigarettes and cigars.
Investing in consumer staples stocks vs. consumer discretionary stocks
Consumer staples stocks provide goods and services that are essential for daily life. People regularly buy these items — like milk and bread — regardless of the economy.
On the other hand, consumer discretionary stocks tackle goods and services that you may enjoy but are unnecessary to live.
For example, you might buy things like a new surfboard or a new camper if you have the extra income. But if you lost your job or if the economy was declining, you might reduce or eliminate these items from your budget.
How to invest in the consumer staples sector
You’ve got two main options for investing in the consumer staples sector in Australia: investing in consumer staples stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). With a particular stock, you purchase shares of a specific company. This option is highly liquid but is riskier than an ETF. Sector-tracking ETFs give you a basket of securities, which offers portfolio diversity but has higher fees.
What stocks are in the consumer staples sector?
Company summary
Woolworths Group Limited operates retail stores in Australia and New Zealand. It operates through Australian Food, Australian B2B, New Zealand Food, BIG W, and Other segments. The Australian Food segment procures and resells food and related products, and provides services to customers in Australia. The Australian B2B segment engages in procurement and distribution of food and related products for resale to other businesses, as well as provision of supply chain services to business customers in Australia. The New Zealand Food segment is involved in the procurement and resale of food and drinks, and provides services to retail customers in New Zealand. BIG W segment procures and resells discount general merchandise products to customers in Australia. The Other segment operates Quantium and MyDeal retail stores The company was formerly known as Woolworths Limited and changed its name to Woolworths Group Limited in December 2017. Woolworths Group Limited was incorporated in 1924 and is based in Bella Vista, Australia.
Coles Group Limited operates as a retailer in Australia. It operates through Supermarkets and Liquor segments. The company operates various supermarkets; and coles.com.au, which offers a choice of home delivery, including same-day, overnight drop and go services, and pick up from click and collect locations. Its Coles Financial Services provides insurance, credit cards, and personal loans to Australian families. The company is also involved in the retailing of liquor through its various stores under the Liquorland, First Choice, First Choice Liquor, and Vintage Cellars brand names. In addition, it operates as flybuys loyalty program. The company was formerly known as Coles Myer Ltd. and changed its name to Coles Group Limited. Coles Group Limited was founded in 1914 and is based in Hawthorn East, Australia.
The a2 Milk Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, sells A2 protein type branded milk and related products in Australia, New Zealand, China, other Asian countries, and the United States. The company also engages in the manufacturing and sale of nutritional and commodity products. It offers its products under the a2 Milk and a2 Platinum brands. The company was formerly known as A2 Corporation Limited and changed its name to The a2 Milk Company Limited in April 2014. The a2 Milk Company Limited was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Treasury Wine Estates Limited operates as a wine company primarily in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. The company engages in the viticulture and winemaking; and marketing, sale, and distribution of wine. Its wine portfolio includes luxury, premium and commercial wine brands, such as 19 Crimes, Acacia Vineyard, Annie's Lane, Beaulieu Vineyard, Belcreme de Lys, Beringer Vineyards, Blossom Hill, Cavaliere d'Oro, Coldstream Hills, Devil's Lair, EMBRAZEN, Etude, Fifth Leg, Heemskerk, Hewitt Vineyard, Ingoldby, Jamieson's Run, Killawarra, Leo Buring, Lindeman's, Maison de Grand Esprit, Matua, Penfolds, Pepperjack, Rawson's Retreat, Rosemount Estate, Run Riot, Saltram, Samuel Wynn & Co, Secret Stone, Seppelt, Shingle Peak, Sledgehammer, Squealing pig, St Huberts, Stags' Leap Winery, Stellina di Notte, Sterling Vineyards, T'Gallant, The Walking Dead Wine, Wolf Blass, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, and Yellowglen. The company also provides contract bottling services to third parties; and sells grape and bulk wine. It owns and leases 7,364 planted hectares of vineyards in Australia and New Zealand; 2,393 planted hectares in California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Lake County, and Central Coast; 175 planted hectares in France's Bordeaux region; and 166 planted hectares in Tuscany, Italy. The company markets and sells its products to distributors, wholesalers, retails chains, independent retailers, and on-premise outlets, as well as directly to consumers. The company was founded in 1843 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Metcash Limited operates as a wholesale distribution and marketing company in Australia. It operates through Food, Liquor, and Hardware segments. The Food segment distributes a range of products and services to independent supermarket and convenience retail outlets. The Liquor segment engages in the distribution of liquor products to independent retail outlets and hotels. The Hardware segment distributes hardware products to independent retail outlets; and operates company owned retail stores. The company sells its products under the IGA, Foodland, Mitre 10, Home Hardware, Total Tools, Hardings, Campbells, Cellarbrations, IGA Liquor, and the Bottle-O brand names. Metcash Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Macquarie Park, Australia.
Elders Limited provides agricultural products and services to rural and regional customers primarily in Australia. The company operates through Branch Network, Wholesale Products, and Feed and Processing Services segments. It supplies rural farm inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, animal health products, and general rural merchandise, as well as professional production and cropping advisory services; and provides retail services through corporate owned stores and through the Ag, Horse, and Pet brand names to independently owned member stores. The company also provides on-farm sales to third parties, regular physical, and online public livestock auctions, as well as directly sells through its owned and third-party feedlots and livestock exporters; agency services for the sale of greasy wool and grain; and brokering services for wool growers. In addition, it markets farms, stations, and lifestyle estates; residential real estate agency and property management services; and water broking and commercial real estate. Further, the company provides a range of banking and insurance products and services; and operates AuctionsPlus, an online livestock auction platform. Additionally, it is involved in grain-fed distribution, beef grass-fattening operations, cow manure processing, and irrigated corn production activities. Elders Limited was founded in 1839 and is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia.
Bega Cheese Limited receives, processes, manufactures, and distributes dairy and other food-related products in Australia. The company operates in two segments, Branded and Bulk. The Branded segment manufactures value added consumer products for owned and externally owned brands. The Bulk segment manufactures bulk dairy ingredients, nutritional, and bio nutrient products. It offers natural, processed, and kids snacking cheese; butter and cream cheese products under the Farmer's Table brand name; dips, mayonnaise, and dressings under the ZoOSh brand name; and spreads under the Simply Nuts, B honey, Bega peanut butter, and VEGEMITE brands. The company also develops and supplies bio nutrient ingredients for the health and nutrition markets. In addition, it operates as a contract packer of natural cheddar and processed cheddar cheese products for corporations; and is involved in contract packaging for private proprietary brands, supermarket house brands, and QSR raw material inputs, as well as products for other dairy companies into their brands. It also exports its products to approximately 40 countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, North Asia, Central and South America, and the Pacific Islands. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Bega, Australia.
Costa Group Holdings Limited produces, packs, and markets fruits and vegetables to food retailers. It operates through three segments: Produce, Costa Farms and Logistics, and International. Produce segment engages in farming, packing, and marketing of berries, mushrooms, glasshouse grown tomatoes, citrus, and avocados and bananas primarily to food retailers. Its Costa Farms and Logistics segment operates logistics, wholesale, and marketing services including warehousing and ripening facilities, and trading within Australia. International segment engages in licensing blueberry varieties in Australia, the Americas, China, Africa, and internationally; and berry farming activities in Morocco and China. It also exports its products. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Docklands, Australia. As of February 26, 2024, Costa Group Holdings Limited was taken private.
Blackmores Limited develops, sells, and markets natural health products for humans and animals in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, China, and India. The company offers vitamins, and herbal and mineral nutritional supplements. It also provides products for various conditions related to arthritis, joints, bones, and muscles; brain health; cold, flu, and immunity; digestive health; energy and exercise; everyday health; and eye health. In addition, the company offers products in the areas of fish and nutritional oils; heart and circulation; infant nutrition; kids health; men's health; multivitamins; nails, hair, and skin; pet health; probiotics; pregnancy and preconception; stress relief and sleep support; weight management; wellbeing management; and women's health. It provides its products through retail and online channels. The company was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
Inghams Group Limited, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells chicken and turkey products in Australia and New Zealand. The company provides frozen, gluten free, and ready to cook chicken and turkey products under the Ingham's brand name. It also offers stock feeds for poultry and pig industries. Inghams Group Limited was founded in 1918 and is based in North Ryde, Australia.
United Malt Group Limited processes and supplies malt and craft ingredients to brewers, distillers, and food markets in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company operates through Processing and Warehouse & Distribution segments. It is also involved in the distribution and sale of bagged malt, hops, yeast, adjuncts, and related products to craft brewers. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.
GrainCorp Limited operates as an agribusiness and processing company in Australasia, Asia, North America, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Agribusiness and Processing. The company handles and trades in wheat, barley, sorghum, corn, oilseeds, pulses, organics, animal fats, and used cooking oils and vegetable oils for animal feed purposes; handles, processes, and stores grains and oilseeds; refines, bleaches, deodorizes, and blends edible fats and oil products; and crushes, processes, manufactures, and distributes edible oils. It also supplies vegetable oil and molasses-based feed supplements to enhance farm productivity; and produces canola oil and canola meal. In addition, the company provides blended and single oils, infant nutrition, bakery products, margarines, spreads, and frying shortening; crushes oilseed products used in cooking oils, spreads and shortenings, prepared foods, meal for dairy, poultry and livestock, cosmetics, and lubricants; and operates bulk port terminals. Further, it engages in the procurement, shipping, accreditation, and value-added supply of tallow and used cooking oil. GrainCorp Limited was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Barangaroo, Australia.
Synlait Milk Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells dairy products in China, rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and internationally. It operates through Synlait and Dairyworks segments. The company is also involved in the processing, packaging, and marketing of dairy products, including cheese, butter, and milk powder. It offers liquid milk; milk powder related products; nutritional products, such as infant and adult nutritional powders; ingredients comprising whole milk powders, skim milk powders, butter milk powders, and anhydrous milk fat; and specialized nutritional ingredients, such as lactoferrin. Synlait Milk Limited was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Rakaia, New Zealand.
Historical performance
Company summary
noumi Limited engages in sourcing, manufacture, selling, marketing, and distribution of plant-based beverages, and dairy and nutritional ingredient products to wholesale and consumer markets. It operates through Dairy and Nutritional, Plant Based Beverages, and Specialty Seafood segments. The company offers dairy milk beverage and nutritional ingredient products; UHT food and beverage products, such as liquid stocks, soy, rice, and almond beverages; performance and adult nutritional products; and canned seafood products that include sardines, salmon, and specialty seafood. In addition, it offers popping corn, yellow maize and derivatives, white maize and derivatives, rice flour, sorghum flour, and specialty gluten-free flours; and invests in dairy farming operations. The company provides its products under the MILKLAB, Australia's Own, Crankt, Vital Strength, VITAL LIFE, UPPROTEIN, So Natural, Simply White, Paramount, Brunswick, and Vitalife brands. It operates in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China, South East Asia, and the Middle East. The company was formerly known as Freedom Foods Group Limited. The company was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Taren Point, Australia. noumi Limited is a subsidiary of Arrovest Pty Limited.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $113614688
PEG ratio: 0
Dividend yield: 0.0805%
What ETFs track the consumer staples sector?
A few popular consumer staples ETFs include:
iShares Global Consumer Staples (IXI)
Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC)
How is the consumer staples sector performing?
Use the graph below to track how the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) has been performing over the past three months, year and five years. Tracking the performance of this ETF is one way to gauge how the sector as a whole is doing.
Why invest in consumer staples stocks?
Since the demand for consumer staples doesn’t slow even in a weak economy, the sector is noncyclical. These stocks are less susceptible to the swings of the stock market when consumer spending on luxury goods and nonessentials rises and falls.
The consumer staples sector outperformed the broader S&P 500 index during the last three recessionary periods. For example, during the Great Recession of 2008, the consumer staples sector returned 13.7% from 2007 to 2009, compared to the broader S&P 500 index decline of 5%.
Consumer staples stocks generally see slow and steady growth and can help diversify your portfolio. An added perk is its higher dividend yield than the S&P 500 Index — even during a recession.
What unique risks does the consumer staples sector face?
Even though the consumer staples sector will likely always be around, they face unique challenges today.
Slow returns. Consumer staples stocks make most of their return when the market is falling. When the economy is thriving, the sector may underperform or see very slow growth, which may not suit investors’ appetites.
Rising interest rates. Higher interest rates usually mean that borrowers end up paying more for their purchases. If interest rates go up, consumer spending may drop, affecting sector performance.
Changing consumer preferences. Customers have shifted their buying habits to include e-commerce and specialty brands, such as organic, fresh options. Companies need to continually keep in touch with consumers as Australians stray from buying traditional brands through old-school retail outlets.
Compare stock trading platforms
To invest in stocks or ETFs, you'll need a brokerage account in Australia. Use the table below to compare your options and find the best fit.
Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.
Bottom line
The consumer staples sector may be a good choice if there are signs of a recession on the horizon or if you don’t mind slow, long-term growth.
Explore online trading platforms to find a brokerage firm that’s right for your financial goals.
Frequently asked questions
Tariffs and trade tensions generally raise the cost of goods for consumers. This squeezes profit margins and can negatively affect consumer spending and stock performance.
Cosmetics and perfume are generally part of the consumer staples sector. They sometimes overlap with the consumer discretionary sector when sold through a retailer.
These two sectors refer to the same thing. Consumer staples are considered defensive because they remain relatively stable in all economic climates.
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs and forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for the product on the provider's website.
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