Market Sectors

Among the stock market sectors that comprise industries are two that are specific to you: consumer discretionary
and consumer staples. Both are a catch-all for a variety of consumer products and services.

Consumer Discretionary

Also known as consumer cyclicals and consumer durables, consumer discretionary stocks typically include products we buy with discretionary income – often during good economic times. Products in this sector include everything from refrigerators and washing machines to high-end televisions and new vehicles. Sales of these items usually spike during good economic times, when consumers have more money to spend and feel good about the economy.

Consumer Staples

We generally buy products in the consumer staples sector without regard to the economy’s strength. Staples might include food, heat and electricity, and healthcare – things we need more frequently than consumer durables. Because they make or sell products of necessity, companies in this sector may see their stocks perform better than consumer discretionary stocks during down economic times.