Food and beverage stocks are the companies that make and sell what people eat and drink. Demand barely changes with the economy, which makes them classic defensive holdings: steadier than the market in a downturn, and usually slower in a boom. Below, our model ranks every US-listed food and beverage stock by score and momentum, updated after each close.
| Stock | Momentum | Score | To target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asahi Group Holdings, LtdAverage | 54 | 190 | +910% |
| Herbalife Nutrition LtdAverage | 21 | 164 | +35% |
| General Mills, IncAverage | 45 | 154 | 0% |
| The Kraft Heinz CompanyWeak | 64 | 149 | +0% |
| Beyond Meat, IncWeak | 1 | 147 | +11% |
The theme runs from packaged food to drinks and nutrition. General Mills and Kraft Heinz own portfolios of established brands sold through supermarkets. Asahi Group is a large beverage maker reaching the market as a depositary receipt. Herbalife sells nutrition through its own distribution model, and Beyond Meat is a growth company in a category that has proved far harder than expected — a reminder that "food" is not automatically defensive.
Input costs. Grain, dairy, packaging and energy go straight into the cost base. The question is always whether the company can raise prices without losing shelf volume.
Private label. When shoppers trade down to supermarket own brands, the branded makers lose volume — and that happens exactly when the economy weakens.
Currency. These are global businesses; a large part of the reported result can come from where the dollar sits.
Changing habits. Health trends and new categories reshape demand slowly, but permanently.
The large branded makers usually are — people keep eating in a downturn. But a growth company in a new food category is not defensive at all: it depends on demand that may not arrive. Check what the company actually sells.
Because their raw materials rise immediately while price increases to retailers take time to negotiate and can cost shelf volume. The margin gets squeezed in between.
The established ones typically do, and often steadily, because the cash flow is predictable. Check the payout ratio on the individual stock page — a high yield can also mean the market expects the business to shrink.
After every close. Score, momentum and price targets are recalculated automatically, so the order always reflects the latest trading day.