Everyday-essentials shares, explained
Consumer-staples companies make the things people keep buying no matter what - food, drinks, cleaning products, toiletries. Because demand barely dips in a downturn, their revenue tends to be steadier than most, which is why they're called 'defensive'.
The trade-off is that steady rarely means fast-growing, and they still face supermarket own-brands and rising costs. Steadiness is a characteristic to understand, not a verdict. Each name below links to its full plain-English explainer.
Why should I care?
The everyday brands in your cupboard are the market's 'steady' businesses - understanding why they hold up in downturns, and why they rarely grow fast, helps you see what role they'd play in a portfolio.
How this list is put together
Every company in the Almanac that reports itself in the Consumer Defensive sector, listed A to Z. The sector label is the company's own classification, not ours.
Of the 59 names here, 52 currently pay a dividend
88% pay one12% do not
59 names · each links to its full, plain-English explainer.