NEW YORK: Shares of consumer staples companies are commonly seen as a safe harbor among U.S. equities but may be more susceptible to the fallout from tensions between the United States and its trading partners than other defensive sectors such as utilities and real estate.
But Trump has also vowed to levy import taxes on goods from Mexico in an attempt to pressure Mexican authorities to stem illegal immigration into the United States, though Mexico has held talks with the United States in an effort to avoid such tariffs. "Because trade and tariffs are starting to heat up again, there's not as much of a safe-haven in consumer staples as much as something like utilities," said Shawn Cruz, manager of trader strategy at TD Ameritrade in Jersey City, New Jersey."You can get some benefit in being more selective among defensive sectors."
It's not just a matter of costs. Eleven U.S.-listed consumer staples companies - including Mondelez International Inc and Philip Morris International Inc - are estimated to generate at least a tenth of their sales in China, and six companies in the sector are estimated to get at least 5 percent of their sales in Mexico. The utilities and real estate sectors, which are domestically focused, lack such exposure.
To be sure, some strategists find advantages in consumer staples. Emily Roland, head of capital markets research at John Hancock Investments in Boston, favors the sector as a defensive play based upon its return on equity and 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio.
In the world, you throw stones and often hold your own legs. What is needed between people is not jealousy and hatred. What is needed is tolerance. Tolerance is a virtue, which will make you more respected by others; tolerance is a good medicine that can save a person's soul
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