In this article, we will take a look at the Top 15 Consumer Staples Stocks According to Hedge Funds.
Consumer staples are companies that produce and market necessities that individuals and households cannot live without. These ‘essentials’, include food, beverages, personal care products, cleaning supplies for the home, and even alcohol and tobacco. As a defensive industry, the consumer staples sector provides stability and is typically less susceptible to fluctuations in the stock market and economy.
Of course, while resilient, that doesn’t mean that it is completely impervious to inflation, since profit margins can still be affected. According to the central bank’s monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations, respondents in June saw inflation at 3% in 12 months, which is the same level as it was in January.
Respondents continue to anticipate price increases in a number of key categories, despite the headline inflation estimate softening. According to the survey, there will likely be a 4.2% increase in gas prices, a 9.3% increase in medical care (the highest since June 2023), and a 9.1% increase in both rent and college tuition.
There was also some improvement in employment metrics, as expectations of a higher unemployment rate in the coming year decreased by 1.1 percentage points.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top consumer staples stocks to buy according to hedge funds.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the top consumer staples stocks to buy, we started with a list of U.S.-listed companies in the industry with strong fundamentals. We then ranked them according to the number of hedge funds that held stakes in them as of the first quarter of 2025.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
15. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) ranks among the top consumer staples stocks according to hedge funds. In anticipation of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)’s July 31 earnings report, Bernstein SocGen Group maintained its Outperform rating on the stock but reduced its price target to €77 from €79 on July 3.
Though the ultimate impact would rely on offsetting price rises, the firm highlighted a number of reasons for the adjustment, including anticipated margin pressure in Brazil and Mexico during the second half of the year as a result of foreign exchange hedges turning negative.
Although Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) outperformed the overall market in recent scanner data, Bernstein also decreased its forecasts for volume growth in the US due to ongoing market difficulties and lowered its estimations for associate income, notably citing Castel and Efes.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is a global beer manufacturer and distributor. Acknowledged as one of the largest breweries in the world, its main operations include the production of beer and the sale of soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages.
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