Consumer Stocks: What Drives Them, What To Check
Updated October 31, 2026. 52 stocks in the group.
On October 31, 2026, this site tracks 52 consumer stocks with a combined market value of $8.30T, about 12.0% of the 503 stocks it covers. Their median P/E is 20.5 against 23.5 for all tracked stocks, and 36 stocks pay a dividend. The largest are AMZN, TSLA, WMT and COST. This page shows what the data says about the group and what drives it; it does not say which stock to pick.
What is in the Consumer Discretionary & Retail group?
52 stocks in 8 industries.
| Industry | Stocks | Combined market value | Median P/E | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | 21 | $5.30T | 23.3 | AMZN |
| Automobiles | 3 | $1.70T | 254.5 | TSLA |
| Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure | 18 | $1.09T | 18.3 | MCD |
| Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods | 5 | $105B | 14.7 | NKE |
| Consumer products | 2 | $61.4B | 14.5 | DHI |
| Leisure Products | 1 | $16.8B | 17.6 | HAS |
| Distributors | 1 | $16.7B | 538.1 | GPC |
| Auto Components | 1 | $9.1B | 41.4 | APTV |
The group follows this site's twelve-sector grouping, shown on the Sector Map. It covers retail, restaurants, hotels and leisure, autos, apparel and homebuilding. The industry names are the narrow labels in the site's own company data. Market values and P/E come from the weekly screener data as of October 31, 2026.
How do consumer stocks compare with the whole market?
Medians for the group against all tracked stocks.
| Measure | Consumer Discretionary & Retail | All tracked stocks | The group is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median P/E | 20.5 | 23.5 | below |
| Median price to book | 10.63 | 4.33 | above |
| Median dividend yield (payers) | 2.11% | 1.91% | above |
| Median net margin | 8.8% | 13.1% | below |
| Median return on equity | 42.3% | 17.4% | above |
| Median debt to equity | 1.20 | 0.76 | above |
Medians ignore stocks with no figure, so a loss-maker has no P/E. On P/E the group sits 13% below the market median. A higher P/E means investors pay more per dollar of profit, often because they expect faster growth; it is not a score. See the P/E glossary entry.
Which consumer stocks lead on size, price, yield and returns?
Four short lists from the same data.
| Stock | Market value |
|---|---|
| AMZN Amazon.com Inc | $2.63T |
| TSLA Tesla Inc | $1.58T |
| WMT Walmart Inc | $973B |
| COST Costco Wholesale Corp | $441B |
| HD Home Depot Inc | $331B |
| Stock | P/E |
|---|---|
| LULU Lululemon Athletica Inc | 9.0 |
| NCLH Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd | 10.5 |
| DECK Deckers Outdoor Corp | 10.6 |
| CCL Carnival Corp | 12.2 |
| DHI D.R. Horton Inc | 13.4 |
A low P/E can mean a bargain or a business in trouble, and a high yield can be a price that has fallen; check the cause before reading either as good news (why a low P/E can be an illusion). Return on equity is flattered by debt and buybacks.
How healthy are consumer businesses on Piotroski's nine tests?
Nine yes/no tests on profit, debt and efficiency, run on each company's own 10-K.
| Band | Stocks | Share of the group |
|---|---|---|
| Strong (8 or 9) | 9 | 17% |
| Good (6 or 7) | 26 | 50% |
| Middling (4 or 5) | 14 | 27% |
| Weak (0 to 3) | 3 | 6% |
| Stock | F-Score |
|---|---|
| RCL Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 9 of 9 |
| WMT Walmart Inc | 8 of 9 |
| TJX TJX Companies Inc | 8 of 9 |
| CCL Carnival Corp | 8 of 9 |
| EXPE Expedia Group Inc | 8 of 9 |
The median score is 6.0 for the group against 6.0 for all scored non-financial stocks. A score describes the last two annual reports, not the share price. Browse every score on the Piotroski F-Score Screener.
What drives consumer stocks?
The forces behind the group's profits.
Household income and confidence
These companies sell things people can postpone. Spending follows jobs, wages after inflation, credit and confidence, so the group often leads the economy down and up.
Traffic and same-store sales
Growth from opening new stores is easy to buy; growth from the same stores is earned. Same-store sales, visits and average ticket show whether customers are really coming back.
Inventory and promotions
Retailers that misjudge demand are left with stock they must discount. Inventory growing faster than sales is an early warning.
Brands and shifts in how people shop
A strong brand holds prices through slowdowns; the move to online shopping rewards scale in logistics and punishes weaker store networks.
What can go wrong with consumer stocks?
The risks to read in the filings.
- Spending pullbacks: discretionary budgets are cut first.
- Margin pressure from wages, rent and imported goods costs.
- Fashion and product misses.
- Leverage: leases and debt magnify a bad year.
What to check: Check same-store sales against new-store growth, inventory against sales, lease and debt obligations and how margins held in the last slowdown.
Which tools and guides fit consumer stocks?
Where to go next on this site.
Which consumer stocks does this site track?
Every stock in the group, by industry, each linked to its own page.
Retail (21)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMZN Amazon.com Inc | $2.63T | 19.4 | none | 30.5% |
| WMT Walmart Inc | $973B | 44.1 | 0.79% | 22.7% |
| COST Costco Wholesale Corp | $441B | 47.8 | 0.56% | 28.0% |
| HD Home Depot Inc | $331B | 23.3 | 2.79% | 102.7% |
| TJX TJX Companies Inc | $156B | 25.8 | 1.25% | 59.8% |
| LOW Lowe's Companies Inc | $117B | 17.6 | 2.30% | 264.5% |
| CVNA Carvana Co | $76.5B | 48.8 | none | 46.6% |
| ROST Ross Stores Inc | $73.7B | 27.7 | 0.74% | 42.3% |
| ORLY O'Reilly Automotive Inc | $71.2B | 26.9 | none | 423.4% |
| TGT Target Corp | $69.2B | 15.8 | 2.99% | 26.7% |
| EBAY eBay Inc | $54.2B | 24.4 | 1.00% | 48.3% |
| AZO Autozone Inc | $51.1B | 19.9 | none | 249.3% |
| SYY Sysco Corp | $40.7B | 23.2 | 2.55% | 75.4% |
| KR Kroger Co | $39.4B | 36.3 | 2.27% | 3.5% |
| WSM Williams-Sonoma Inc | $29.7B | 25.2 | 1.13% | 57.8% |
| DG Dollar General Corp | $29.2B | 17.1 | 1.78% | 19.6% |
| ULTA Ulta Beauty Inc | $27.3B | 22.6 | none | 45.4% |
| CASY Caseys General Stores Inc | $25.0B | 32.4 | 0.34% | 19.7% |
| DLTR Dollar Tree Inc | $24.8B | 15.4 | none | 45.6% |
| BBY Best Buy Co Inc | $19.8B | 15.5 | 4.06% | 42.8% |
| TSCO Tractor Supply Co | $17.6B | 18.1 | 2.82% | 37.6% |
Automobiles (3)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA Tesla Inc | $1.58T | 490.8 | none | 3.8% |
| GM General Motors Co | $72.3B | 18.3 | 1.64% | 6.4% |
| F Ford Motor Co | $48.9B | n/a | 4.92% | -18.9% |
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (18)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD McDonald's Corp | $185B | 21.1 | 2.82% | 95.1% |
| SBUX Starbucks Corp | $117B | 59.0 | 2.40% | 115.7% |
| BKNG Booking Holdings Inc | $111B | 15.5 | 1.15% | 139.6% |
| MAR Marriott International Inc | $105B | 40.6 | 0.70% | 309.1% |
| ABNB Airbnb Inc | $98.4B | 36.6 | none | 33.4% |
| RCL Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | $81.6B | 17.9 | 1.65% | 43.5% |
| HLT Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc | $79.7B | 46.9 | 0.17% | 171.0% |
| DASH DoorDash Inc | $77.6B | 92.2 | none | 8.5% |
| YUM Yum! Brands Inc | $41.2B | 18.6 | 1.96% | 117.6% |
| CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | $40.4B | 28.5 | none | 53.3% |
| CCL Carnival Corp | $38.3B | 12.2 | 1.61% | 23.9% |
| EXPE Expedia Group Inc | $33.8B | 16.6 | 0.63% | 184.8% |
| DRI Darden Restaurants Inc | $25.3B | 21.4 | 2.77% | 55.9% |
| LVS Las Vegas Sands Corp | $23.2B | 14.4 | 3.49% | 139.8% |
| DPZ Domino's Pizza Inc | $10.4B | 17.0 | 2.42% | 31.9% |
| NCLH Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd | $8.0B | 10.5 | none | 32.4% |
| WYNN Wynn Resorts Ltd | $8.0B | 17.7 | 2.28% | -244.7% |
| MGM MGM Resorts International | $7.3B | 17.1 | none | 17.0% |
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (5)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NKE Nike Inc | $57.7B | 18.7 | 4.20% | 21.2% |
| RL Ralph Lauren Corp | $23.7B | 24.1 | 0.93% | 35.6% |
| LULU Lululemon Athletica Inc | $12.7B | 9.0 | none | 29.7% |
| DECK Deckers Outdoor Corp | $11.3B | 10.6 | none | 43.6% |
| TPR Tapestry Inc | n/a | n/a | none | n/a |
Consumer products (2)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHI D.R. Horton Inc | $40.8B | 13.4 | 1.24% | 12.8% |
| LEN Lennar Corp | $20.5B | 15.7 | 2.40% | 6.0% |
Leisure Products (1)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAS Hasbro Inc | $16.8B | 17.6 | 2.35% | 135.0% |
Distributors (1)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPC Genuine Parts Co | $16.7B | 538.1 | 3.46% | 0.7% |
Auto Components (1)
| Stock | Market value | P/E | Dividend yield | Return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APTV APTIV PLC | $9.1B | 41.4 | none | 2.4% |
Frequently asked questions: consumer stocks
How many consumer stocks does this site track?
52 consumer stocks as of October 31, 2026, in 8 industries, with a combined market value of $8.30T. The largest are AMZN, TSLA and WMT.
What is the median P/E of consumer stocks?
20.5, against 23.5 for all 503 tracked stocks (medians, loss-makers excluded). The median dividend yield among payers is 2.11% against 1.91%.
Which consumer stocks pay the highest dividends?
F at 4.92%, NKE at 4.20% and BBY at 4.06%. A high yield can come from a fallen share price, so check coverage on the Sustainable Dividend Screener.
How do you analyze consumer stocks?
Check same-store sales against new-store growth, inventory against sales, lease and debt obligations and how margins held in the last slowdown. Then compare a company with the group medians on this page rather than with the whole market.
Does this page say which consumer stock to buy?
No. It shows what the data says about the group and how to read it. Every figure is as of October 31, 2026 and describes the past. Read the Editorial Standards for how this site handles data.
Where does this data come from?
- Prices, P/E, yield and margins: the site's weekly screener data (market data from Finnhub and Twelve Data); medians skip stocks with no figure.
- Financial statements and scores: each company's own 10-K filings on SEC EDGAR.
- Grouping: the site's twelve-sector grouping (Sector Map); the narrow industry labels come from its company data.
- Method and limits: every figure is shown as published, with its date, and refreshed weekly (data as of October 31, 2026). There is no composite score, and nothing here predicts where a rate goes next. Read the Editorial Standards for how this site handles data.
Educational content only, not investment, currency-trading or tax advice. Exchange rates and interest rates move for reasons no single table captures.