Sectors & IndustriesConsumer Defensive

Best Consumer Staple Stocks to Buy Now (2025)

Top consumer staple stocks in 2025 ranked by overall Due Diligence Score. See the best consumer staple stocks to buy now, according to analyst forecasts for the consumer defensive sector.

According to Zen Ratings, our proprietary rating system that evaluates 115 factors proven to drive growth in stocks and assigns each stock in our system an overall letter grade as well as 7 individual Component Grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, Sentiment, Safety, Financials, and proprietary AI algorithms, the 3 best consumer staple stocks to buy right now are:

Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) is the #1 top consumer staple stock out of 254 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +32.52% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) is: Value: B, Growth: B, Momentum: D, Sentiment: A, Safety: C, Financials: B, and AI: C.

Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) has a Due Diligence Score of 23, which is -9 points lower than the consumer staple sector average of 32. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates UDMY as a "A".It passed 7 out of 33 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Udemy has seen its stock lose -40.55% over the past year, underperforming other consumer staple stocks by -16 percentage points.

Udemy has an average 1 year price target of $10.20, an upside of 91.73% from Udemy's current stock price of $5.32.

Udemy stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 5 analysts covering Udemy, 60% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 20% have issued a Buy, 20% have issued a Hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Natures Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) is the #2 top consumer staple stock out of 254 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +32.52% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Natures Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) is: Value: A, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: B, Safety: C, Financials: B, and AI: C.

Natures Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) has a Due Diligence Score of 47, which is 15 points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 32. It passed 19 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Natures Sunshine Products has seen its stock lose -3.45% over the past year, overperforming other consumer staple stocks by 21 percentage points.

Natures Sunshine Products has an average 1 year price target of $20.50, an upside of 45.08% from Natures Sunshine Products's current stock price of $14.13.

Natures Sunshine Products stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 2 analysts covering Natures Sunshine Products, 100% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% have issued a Buy, 0% have issued a Hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) is the #3 top consumer staple stock out of 254 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +32.52% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) is: Value: C, Growth: B, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: B, and AI: C.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) has a Due Diligence Score of 52, which is 20 points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 32. It passed 16 out of 33 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. American Public Education has seen its stock return 81.8% over the past year, overperforming other consumer staple stocks by 106 percentage points.

American Public Education has an average 1 year price target of $38.00, an upside of 20.94% from American Public Education's current stock price of $31.42.

American Public Education stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 6 analysts covering American Public Education, 50% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 33.33% have issued a Buy, 16.67% have issued a Hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Out of 79 consumer staple stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 consumer staple stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

Brasilagro Brazilian Agricultural Real Estate Co (NYSE:LND) has an annual dividend yield of N/A, which is N/A percentage points lower than the consumer staple sector average of 2.96%. Brasilagro Brazilian Agricultural Real Estate Co's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% five times in the last 10 years. Brasilagro Brazilian Agricultural Real Estate Co's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Brasilagro Brazilian Agricultural Real Estate Co's dividend payout ratio of 0% indicates that its dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS) has an annual dividend yield of 14.32%, which is 11 percentage points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 2.96%. B&G Foods's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% one times in the last 10 years. B&G Foods's dividend has not shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

B&G Foods's dividend payout ratio of -26.9% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Newell Brands (NASDAQ:NWL) has an annual dividend yield of 8.7%, which is 6 percentage points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 2.96%. Newell Brands's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% one times in the last 10 years. Newell Brands's dividend has not shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Newell Brands's dividend payout ratio of -466.7% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Consumer staple stocks were up 0.47% in the last day, and down -1.33% over the last week. Walmart was the among the top gainers in the consumer defensive sector, gaining 0.21% yesterday.

Shares of retail and footwear stocks are trading higher as the Supreme Court hears arguments over President Trump's tariffs.

Based on the Valuation rating, one of the 7 components of a stocks overall Zen Ratings grade, which evaluates factors including estimated earnings yield, earnings before interest and taxes/enterprise value, cash flow yield, free cash flow to price, and price-to-earnings growth (PEG ratio), the 3 most undervalued consumer staple stocks right now are:

Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD) is the most undervalued consumer staple stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Nomad Foods has a valuation score of 57, which is 31 points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 26. It passed 4 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Nomad Foods's stock has dropped -30.42% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the consumer staple sector by -6 percentage points.

Usana Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA) is the second most undervalued consumer staple stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Usana Health Sciences has a valuation score of 43, which is 17 points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 26. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Usana Health Sciences's stock has dropped -52.49% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the consumer staple sector by -28 percentage points.

Dingdong (NYSE:DDL) is the third most undervalued consumer staple stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Dingdong has a valuation score of 71, which is 45 points higher than the consumer staple sector average of 26. It passed 5 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Dingdong's stock has dropped -61.57% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the consumer staple sector by -37 percentage points.

39.26% of consumer staple stocks rated by analysts are a buy right now. On average, analysts expect consumer staple stocks to rise by 21.86% over the next year.

2.7% of consumer staple stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 16.22% of consumer staple stocks are rated B (Buy), 67.57% are rated C (Hold), 9.73% are rated D (Sell), and 3.78% are rated F (Strong Sell).