Investors looking to diversify beyond the struggling artificial intelligence trade should consider consumer staples stocks, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Friday.
The Nasdaq-100, which tracks the biggest tech stocks, ended October down almost 7%. Investors rotated into other more defensive areas of the market. The S&P 500 Equal Weight gained roughly 5% for the month. (The equal weight index treats all the S&P 500 stocks the same, rather than weighting them by market cap.) The consumer staples index surged 11.4%, making it the second-best performing sector behind energy.
“You’ve got to take what the market is giving you, and until we sort out some of the issues for the tech sector, some other groups might be better bets for the time being,” the “Mad Money” host said. “I like the idea of camping out in the staples for a bit.”
Cramer highlighted four companies he finds particularly attractive in consumer staples — a group that features companies with household brand names that people tend to buy regardless of market conditions or economic environment.
- Kimberly-Clark: The maker of Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers is one of the newest holdings in Cramer’s Charitable Trust, the portfolio run by CNBC’s Investing Club. Cramer sees significant upside from its pending merger with Kenvue, which owns brands including Tylenol and Band-Aid. He expects the deal to generate efficiencies and create a consumer products powerhouse. Kimberly-Clark shares gained nearly 11% in October, but the stock still trades at less than 15 times earnings, with a 4.7% dividend yield. “I think the move is just getting started,” Cramer said.
- Procter & Gamble: While the Investing Club exited its longtime P&G position in July, Cramer said the company remains an attractive defensive investment following better-than-expected quarterly results last week. He also expressed confidence in new CEO Shailesh Jejurikar. Shares of Procter & Gamble rallied 11% in October, though Cramer prefers Kimberly-Clark’s lower valuation and higher dividend yield.
- Constellation Brands: The maker of Modelo and Pacifico beers is showing signs of a turnaround, with its core beer business gaining market share and its smaller wine and spirits division reporting 15% shipment growth last quarter. Shares of Constellation Brands surged 20% in October, but Cramer still sees value in the stock, which trades at roughly 11 times earnings and yields more than 3%. “It increasingly looks like the worst is behind Constellation Brands,” Cramer said.
- Coca-Cola: This is the one Cramer favors among the major soda makers. Coca-Cola delivered a strong quarterly report on Tuesday driven by higher volume rather than price increases. He also praised its innovation in zero-calorie beverages and its protein options with its Fairlife milk business. Shares gained 9% in October.
