Consumer staples offer strength in downturns

Article Excerpt

Traditionally, the price of most stocks, and the ETFs that hold them, drop during market declines. However, certain segments generally perform better than the overall market. Below, we highlight three ETFs focused on firms that produce and sell consumer staples. They should, as in past downturns, bounce back faster than most sectors. Meanwhile, the supplement starting on page 120 provides more information on the performance of various sectors during market declines. VANGUARD CONSUMER STAPLES ETF $185.78 (New York symbol VDC; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $7.7 billion) tracks the MSCI U.S. Consumer Staples Index. The ETF invests in small, medium, and large U.S. companies whose products are considered non-discretionary. The target group includes manufacturers and distributors of food, beverages, tobacco, personal products, and food and drug retailers. The largest components consist of companies that produce soft drinks (21%), household products (19%), packaged foods and meats (18%), hypermarkets and supercenters (16%), and tobacco (8%). The ETF holds a portfolio of 100 companies; the top 10 make…