Consumer staples stocks are a traditional safe haven from uncertainty, which has already proven to be more than abundant over the past 12 months.
The S&P 500 closed 2022 with a total loss of about 18% on the year, its worst annual return since the financial crisis of 2008. Those declines, coupled with stubbornly high inflation, a rising interest-rate environment and uncertainty over the potential for a bigger slowdown in the U.S. economy has many investors seeking out safety.
And one area of the market to find consistency and stability is the consumer staples sector. After all, companies that sell detergent or shampoo or packaged foods will still do a brisk business even if broader spending trends decline.
With that in mind, here are nine of the best consumer staples stocks to buy now. All have something different to offer, and many also pay generous dividends on top of the potential for share appreciation.
Data is as of Feb. 17. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price.