Investors might now be more aware of these swings, which could become more pronounced due to the rapidly evolving economy. As a result, maybe it’s time to find companies that can withstand the pressure, especially now that artificial intelligence (AI) has everyone worried.<\/p>\n
Here are four consumer staples businesses<\/a>\u00a0that are built to handle any downturn. Their stable operations can boost the safety of a portfolio, although they aren’t necessarily going to put up robust investment gains that can beat the market.<\/p>\n Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO)\u00a0has a presence in virtually all corners of the globe, with its more than 200 beverage varieties. An estimated 2.2 billion servings of its products are consumed every day.<\/p>\n This business stands out thanks to its powerful brand, durable demand even in recessionary times, and incredible earnings power. Coca-Cola’s adjusted operating margin in fiscal 2025 was a stellar 31.2%. Profitability like this supports management’s ability to fund dividend payouts<\/a> that have risen in 64 straight years. <\/p>\n This stock isn’t known to be a market outperformer, producing a total return of 123% in the past 10 years (as of April 15). The S&P 500 index, by comparison, put up a total return of 300% during the same time. <\/p>\n Next on the list is Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST). This huge warehouse club operator, with 924 locations around the world, specializes in extremely low prices. Consumers pay yearly memberships to shop there, which supports loyalty and repeat visits.<\/p>\n It seems that Costco is able to report growth in same-store sales (comps) no matter what’s going on with the economy. Whether it’s a health crisis, surging inflation, geopolitical tension, or general uncertainty, this company is the envy of its peers.<\/p>\n It’s impossible to be disappointed by Costco’s investment performance. In the past five years, the stock’s total return of 182% was more than double the S&P 500’s gain.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n But the shares aren’t cheap today. With the price-to-earnings multiple (P\/E) at 51.5, this is a company that the investment community might view too favorably.<\/p>\n Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) can outlast a market downturn by producing some of the most popular and essential items that people need in their daily lives. The list includes Tide laundry detergent, Head & Shoulders shampoo, and Crest toothpaste, among many others. Demand holds steady in any economy because these are goods that households can’t be without.<\/p>\n For example, revenue dipped by only 3.3% in fiscal 2009 during the Great Recession. And it increased in every quarter in calendar 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.<\/p>\n With a trailing-decade total return of 127%, Procter & Gamble isn’t going to wow growth investors. But this company has paid a dividend in 136 straight years, a feat that highlights how much staying power it has. <\/p>\n And we end with the world’s biggest retailer, Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT), which generated $706 billion in net sales in fiscal 2026 (ended Jan. 31). It has 10,900 stores worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n With its sprawling physical footprint and everyday low prices, Walmart is a top choice for consumers. Comps were up 4.5% in fiscal 2026. There’s no doubt that the company would dominate in a severe recession, while most of its competitors would struggle.<\/p>\n Returning capital to shareholders is a priority. The dividend yield of 0.79% isn’t impressive, but the business has increased its payout for 53 consecutive years. <\/p>\n And Walmart has been a huge winner recently, with its share price soaring 167% in the past five years. However, the current valuation is steep: The stock trades at a P\/E of 45.7.<\/p>\n Before you buy stock in Costco Wholesale, consider this:<\/p>\n The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the\u00a010 best stocks<\/a> for investors to buy now\u2026 and Costco Wholesale wasn\u2019t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.<\/p>\n Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,\u00a0you\u2019d have $524,786!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $1,236,406!*<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s worth noting\u00a0Stock Advisor\u2019s total average return is 994% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 199% for the S&P 500.\u00a0Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with\u00a0Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.<\/p>\n See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n *Stock Advisor returns as of April 19, 2026. <\/p>\n Neil Patel<\/a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0a3ec8b2ca9f950d1cc988b9602b7669.jpeg\")
Image source: Getty Images. <\/p>\n