Have a Coke and a smile… Coca-Cola sales have taken off as more people sip on Gatorades and super-sized movie-theater Sprites. Coke’s stock hit an all-time high yesterday after smashing Wall Street's earnings expectations, posting growth in every category:
High-fructose frenzy… Between inflation, rising interest rates, and the war in Ukraine, investors have had a tough time finding stable profits in the market. But pantry powerhouses like Coke have weathered the recent volatility as consumers keep splurging on brands they can’t live without.
Consumer staples are the port in an economic storm… along with other non-cyclical stocks — aka companies selling essential goods and services (think: groceries, gas). When the economy is booming, non-cyclicals tend to be less popular than their high-growth cyclical peers (like: tech, travel, and cars). But when growth slows, investors gravitate toward necessity-driven non-cyclicals since sales and earnings tend to remain stable regardless of the broader economic conditions.