Consumer Stocks

Consumer stocks are often staples of industry. Huge corporations like Proctor & Gamble (NYSE:PG) and Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) have long been providing their customers with a variety of everyday products that provide steady growth for the company. However, consumer stocks can also be cyclical or dependent on trends as a means of growth. Examples of these stocks are Crocs (NYSE:CROX) and American Eagle (NYSE:AEO).
Due to all the variables associated with consumer stocks, it is important to consider your needs as an investor and how each stock fits within those needs. Many consumer stocks like Proctor & Gamble are safe investments with consistent dividends and steady growth. Some consumer stocks are more volatile and have higher potential such as Chipotle (NYSE:CMG), which has risen from just above $400 to just under $700 in the past year.

The Risky Business of Betting on the Box Office

By Lawrence Meyers, InvestorPlace Contributor
Popcorn company stocks are probably better investments than most movie exhibitors. There's no telling how many people will see a movie, so be selective.

Alcoa: From Bellwether to Red Herring

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
Alcoa's fourth-quarter earnings expectations look rosy -- which is better than you can say for the broader market

CES Day One: Nvidia’s Bombshell

By Brad Moon, InvestorPlace Contributor
It trumped a slew of other companies' innovative big-screen TV unveilings with a new portable gaming device that promises to be truly disruptive.

Wendy’s Hikes Prices — Here Come Falling Sales

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
Dollar-menu items are killing its already scant operating profit margins, but higher prices will likely punish the top line, making things even worse.

Dr Pepper to Roll Out 5 New 10-Calorie Sodas

By Nate Wooley, InvestorPlace Writer
Dr Pepper is launching 5 new diet versions of its sodas, all of them with 10 calories, in the new year.

Diet Pepsi Remakes Its Sweetener

By Nate Wooley, InvestorPlace Writer
PepsiCo has quietly changed the formula for its flagship low-calorie soda, Diet Pepsi, to promote a more stable taste and longer shelf life.

Tropicana Turns to Carrots to Juice Sales

By Nate Wooley, InvestorPlace Writer
Pepsi-owned Tropicana is bringing out a new line of fruit-and-veggie drinks called Farmstand.

Avon to Slash 1,500 Jobs, Leave Two Markets

By Nate Wooley, InvestorPlace Writer
Cosmetic retailer Avon announced that it's cutting costs by slashing 1,500 jobs and leaving two Asian markets.

3 Key Sectors to Watch for 2013

By Jeff Reeves
Looking for a simple gauge of the market's health? Look at tech, consumer discretionary and financials -- if they don't kill it in 2013, upside will be hard to come by.

Fiscal Cliff & Retail Stocks: 2 to Buy, 2 to Sell

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
Should the U.S. be allowed to fall off the fiscal cliff, expect everyone -- from the rich to the poor -- to trade down in their retail options.

Options for Making the Holiday Season Merry

By Lawrence Meyers, InvestorPlace Contributor
They're a great way to hedge the unpredictability among retailers and the credit card companies. Here ares some strategies to consider.

Lower Gas Prices Are No Christmas Miracle

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
Recently fallen gas prices might make us all feel warm and fuzzy, but it has next to no material effect on the holiday shopping season.

Buy Dollar General … AFTER the S&P 500 Hype Dies Down

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
The money to be made in Dollar General's inclusion in the S&P 500 was collected in a flash. For mom 'n' pop, a DG decision remains about fundamentals.

‘Fiscal Cliff’ Won’t Hurt Holiday Sales … This Year, Anyway

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
Sure, the White House is right that the threat of higher taxes will weigh on consumer confidence -- eventually. Right now, most people aren't thinking that far ahead.

Apparel Retailers Expect Huge Holiday Growth

By Dan Burrows, InvestorPlace Feature Writer
Black Friday kicked off what is expected to be a strong quarter for retailers this year -- especially big-name specialty apparel chains.

Stocks at New Highs, New Lows for 11/20

By Alyssa Oursler, InvestorPlace Contributor
Get the scoop on today's big moves. See which stock hit a new 52-week high, and one that found a new 52-week low.

Hostess, Union Attempt to Avoid Liquidation

By Nate Wooley, InvestorPlace Writer
Just days after announcing that Hostess would be shutting down, a judge has asked the firm and the union to enter mediation.

Dollar for Dollar, Dollar Tree Still Rules

By Ethan Roberts, InvestorPlace Contributor
Despite DLTR's recent pullback, it's the go-to stock in this robust retail niche in comparison to its rivals Dollar General and Family Dollar.

5 ‘Gotta-Have’ Consumer Stocks

By Marc Bastow, InvestorPlace Assistant Editor
These five consumer stocks are powered by brands that have loyal followings, even in the face of cheaper alternatives.
Load More