The consumer discretionary sector is chock full of luxury. These non-essential goods, products and services carry popular designer names like Michael Kors and Ferrari, and also include restaurants, coffee shops and golf courses. Consumer discretionary stocks soar during a robust economy, but investors should be wary during a downturn — consumers tend to cut this spending first.
What are consumer discretionary stocks?
The consumer discretionary sector is one of 11 sectors of the stock market. These businesses include products and services that consumers may want, but don’t necessarily need. For example, high-end clothing, big-screen televisions, family vacations and sporting goods fall under this category. Consumers usually purchase these non-essential goods or services when they feel confident about their finances and have some disposable income.
What industries does it include?
With products that range from cars to lipstick, the consumer discretionary sector covers a vast range of industries.
Automobiles. Companies that manufacture cars, trucks, motorcycles and scooters.
Hotels, restaurants and leisure. The service industry includes food and drink establishments, lodging and recreational activity venues such as theme parks.
Household durables. Residential products like furniture and appliances.
Multiline retail. Stores that offer diversified products, such as Macy’s.
Textiles, apparel and luxury goods. Manufacturers of clothing, accessories and luxury goods, such as Hermès designer handbags and Givenchy leather shoes.
Leisure products. These vendors of recreational products and equipment include sports gear and toys.
Consumer discretionary stocks vs. consumer staples stocks
Consumer discretionary stocks offer products or services that people enjoy, but can live without. Consumer staples are things we need, such as food, beverages, household essentials and hygiene products like toilet paper. No matter how the economy is doing, you’ll always stock your house with consumer staples. But in a waning economy, you might eliminate the nonessentials.
How to invest in the consumer discretionary sector
There are two ways to invest in the consumer discretionary sector: individual stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). When you invest in a particular consumer discretionary stock, you buy shares of the company. There are fewer fees, but more risk involved. If you go the ETF route, you’ll get a basket of consumer discretionary stocks, which come with higher fees but diversifies your portfolio and lowers your exposure risk. A breakdown of how to get started:
Pick a brokerage. Browse different brokerage platforms to choose a firm that suits your investing needs.
Open an account. Most firms let you open a brokerage account online. Some accounts require a deposit to open, while others let you fund your account right before investing.
Shop for securities. Use your platform’s research programs to examine different stocks and ETFs.
Place an order. Give the order to buy the security.
Track your portfolio. Monitor your investments by logging into your brokerage account.
What stocks are in the consumer discretionary sector?
See how the following stocks are performing, and view details like market capitalization, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio and dividend yield.
Company summary
Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of coffee worldwide. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole beans and ground coffees, single serve products, and ready-to-drink beverages; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items. The company also licenses its trademarks through licensed stores, and grocery and foodservice accounts. The company offers its products under the Starbucks Coffee, Teavana, Seattle's Best Coffee, Ethos, Starbucks Reserve, and Princi brands. Starbucks Corporation was founded in 1971 and is based in Seattle, Washington.
NIKE, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, markets, and sells athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services worldwide. The company provides athletic and casual footwear, apparel, and accessories under the Jumpman trademark; and casual sneakers, apparel, and accessories under the Converse, Chuck Taylor, All Star, One Star, Star Chevron, and Jack Purcell trademarks. It also sells a line of performance equipment and accessories comprising bags, sport balls, socks, eyewear, timepieces, digital devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, and other equipment for sports activities under the NIKE brand; and various plastic products to other manufacturers. In addition, the company markets apparel with licensed college and professional team, and league logos, as well as sells sports apparel; and licenses unaffiliated parties to manufacture and sell apparel, digital devices, and applications and other equipment for sports activities under NIKE-owned trademarks. It sells its products to footwear stores; sporting goods stores; athletic specialty stores; department stores; skate, tennis, and golf shops; and other retail accounts through NIKE-owned retail stores, digital platforms, independent distributors, licensees, and sales representatives. NIKE, Inc. was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.
MGM Resorts International, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates casino, hotel, and entertainment resorts in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Las Vegas Strip Resorts, Regional Operations, and MGM China. Its casino resorts offer gaming, hotel, convention, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. The company's casino operations include slots and table games, as well as online sports betting and iGaming through BetMGM. Its customers include premium gaming customers; leisure and wholesale travel customers; business travelers; and group customers, including conventions, trade associations, and small meetings. The company was formerly known as MGM MIRAGE and changed its name to MGM Resorts International in June 2010. MGM Resorts International was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Carnival Corporation & plc engages in the provision of leisure travel services in North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: NAA Cruise Operations, Europe Cruise Operations, Cruise Support, and Tour and Other. It operates port destinations, private islands, and a solar park, as well as owns and operates hotels, lodges, glass-domed railcars, and motor coaches. The company offers its services under the Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises, and Cunard brand. Additionally, it sells its cruises primarily through travel agents, tour operators, vacation planners, and websites. Carnival Corporation & plc was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.
Aptiv PLC engages in design, manufacture, and sale of vehicle components in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, South America, and internationally. The company provides electrical, electronic, and safety technology solutions to the automotive and commercial vehicle markets. It operates through two segments, Signal and Power Solutions, and Advanced Safety and User Experience. The Signal and Power Solutions segment designs, manufactures, and assembles vehicle's electrical architecture, including engineered component products, connectors, wiring assemblies and harnesses, cable management products, electrical centers, and hybrid high voltage and safety distribution systems. Its Advanced Safety and User Experience segment provides critical technologies and services for vehicle safety, security, comfort, and convenience, such as sensing and perception systems, electronic control units, multi-domain controllers, vehicle connectivity systems, application software, autonomous driving technologies, and end-to-end DevOps tools. The company was formerly known as Delphi Automotive PLC and changed its name to Aptiv PLC in December 2017. Aptiv PLC was incorporated in 2011 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.
eBay Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates marketplace platforms that connect buyers and sellers in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and internationally. The company's marketplace platform includes its online marketplace at ebay.com, off-platform businesses, and the eBay suite of mobile apps. Its platforms enable users to list, sell, and buy various products. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
Amazon.com, Inc. engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero; and develops and produces media content. In addition, the company offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products in its stores; and programs that allow authors, independent publishers, musicians, filmmakers, Twitch streamers, skill and app developers, and others to publish and sell content. Further, it provides compute, storage, database, analytics, machine learning, and other services, as well as advertising services through programs, such as sponsored ads, display, and video advertising. Additionally, the company offers Amazon Prime, a membership program. The company's products offered through its stores include merchandise and content purchased for resale and products offered by third-party sellers. It serves consumers, sellers, developers, enterprises, content creators, advertisers, and employees. Amazon.com, Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Domino's Pizza, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a pizza company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Stores, International Franchise, and Supply Chain. It offers pizzas under the Domino's brand name through company-owned and franchised stores. It also provides oven-baked sandwiches, pastas, boneless chicken and chicken wings, breads and dips, desserts, and soft drink products, as well as loaded tots and pepperoni stuffed cheesy breads. Domino's Pizza, Inc. was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. develops, publishes, and markets interactive entertainment solutions for consumers worldwide. The company offers its products under the Rockstar Games, 2K, Private Division, and Zynga names. It develops and publishes action/adventure products under the Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, Midnight Club, LA Noire, and Red Dead Redemption names. The company also publishes various entertainment properties across various platforms and a range of genres, such as shooter, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, and family/casual entertainment under the BioShock, Mafia, Sid Meier's Civilization, XCOM series, Borderlands, and Tiny Tina's Wonderland. In addition, it publishes sports simulation titles comprising NBA 2K series, a basketball video game; the WWE 2K professional wrestling series; and PGA TOUR 2K. Further, the company offers Kerbal Space Program, OlliOlli World, and The Outer Worlds and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey; free-to-play mobile games, such as CSR Racing, Dragon City, Empires & Puzzles, FarmVille, Golf Rival, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Merge Dragons, Merge Magic, Monster Legends, Toon Blast, Top Eleven, Toy Blast, Two Dots, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker; and a volume of mobile titles, including Fill the Fridge!, Parking Jam 3D, Pressure Washing Run, and Pull the Pin. Its products are designed for console gaming systems; personal computers; and mobiles comprising smartphones and tablets. The company provides its products through physical retail, digital download, online platforms, and cloud streaming services. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. was incorporated in 1993 and is based in New York, New York.
Vista Outdoor Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets outdoor recreation and shooting sports products. in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Sporting Products and Outdoor Products. The Sporting Products segment designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes ammunitions, components, and related equipment and accessories for hunters, recreational shooters, federal and local law enforcement agencies, and military. This segment products also include ammunition products, such as pistol, rifle, rimfire, and shotshell ammunition, as well as components. The Outdoor Products segment offers gear and equipment to a range of outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, campers, cyclists, off-road riders, skiers, snowboarders, backyard grillers, golfers, anglers, and hunters. This segments products portfolio includes archery and shooting accessories comprising hunting arrows, game calls, hunting blinds, and decoys; reloading components; optics, such as binoculars, riflescopes, game cameras, and telescopes; tactical accessories comprising holsters, duty gear, bags, and packs; hydration packs, water bottles, drinkware, and coolers; outdoor cooking equipment, including grills, cookware, pellets, and camp stoves; helmets, goggles, accessories for cycling, snow sports, motocross, power sports, and e-bikes; fishing waders, sportswear, outerwear, footwear, and fishing tools and accessories; golf launch monitors, laser rangefinders, GPS devices, and other golf technology products; and hunting gears for backcountry use. The company sells its products through big-box, and specialty and independent retailers and distributors, as well as through brand's website and owned stores. Vista Outdoor Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Anoka, Minnesota.
Invesco Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment ETF (PEJ)
How is consumer discretionary sector performing?
Use the graph below to see how the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) is currently performing, as well as how it has been performing over the last three months, year and five years.
Why invest in the consumer discretionary sector?
Consumer discretionary stocks have the potential for high returns, especially when the economy is strong. For example, during the start of the longest economic expansion in US history, the S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary Index returned 41.3% in 2009, compared to the S&P 500 Index’s 26.5%. And it continued to bring in consistently higher returns for many years. Another benefit of the consumer discretionary sector is that it’s easier for investors to gauge entry into the market. Since consumer discretionary stocks perform in tandem with the economy, investors can monitor economic indicators, such as the gross domestic product (GDP), to judge whether it might be a good time to start investing.
How are the dividends for consumer discretionary stocks?
Consumer Discretionary stocks dividends are usually comparable to the rest of the market. But economic downfalls can lead to dividend cuts. For example, in September 2019, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) had a yield of 1.99%, compared to the S&P 500 Index’s (SPY) 1.97%. But just a few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic forced consumers to stay at home and shut down major retailers, hotels and restaurants. Many stocks plummeted, affecting dividend payouts as well. In June 2020, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) had a yield of 0.86%, steeply trailing the S&P 500 Index’s (SPY) dividend of 1.75%.
What unique risks does the consumer discretionary sector face?
Economic cycles have a big hand in how consumer discretionary stocks perform. Since this sector is extremely unpredictable, here are a few things to watch out for:
Weak economy. The sector suffers in a declining economy, especially when there are high rates of unemployment. Consumers tend to tighten their spending and reduce luxury goods from their budget.
High interest rates. Consumers often purchase more expensive products, such as cars or jewelry, on credit. High credit card interest rates are harder on customers and may deter spending.
Poor consumer confidence. How people feel about the economy plays a key role in consumer spending. A positive outlook can lead to more spending, whereas a loss in confidence usually means that consumers are saving rather than spending. For example, when consumer confidence was at an all-time low in 2009 following the Great Recession, all major areas of spending — except healthcare — dropped an average of 2.8%, according to the US Department of Labor.
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Bottom line
The consumer discretionary sector may be a good choice when the economy is growing and consumers feel good about their job and finances. But tread carefully when the economy starts trending down. Compare online trading platforms to find a brokerage firm when you’re reading to start investing.
Frequently asked questions
Is the consumer discretionary sector cyclical? Yes. This sector’s performance is dependent on how the economy is doing. Consumers only spend money on things they don’t necessarily need when they have enough income for necessities. Does a weakening economy affect all consumer discretionary stocks the same way? No. Industries perform differently during economic downturns. For instance, after the Great Recession of 2008, the furniture industry saw a bigger drop than hotels and lodging.
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Kimberly Ellis is a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in banking and financial literacy. After teaching in public and private schools, Kimberly zeroed in on personal financial education to help families and kids develop lifelong money skills. She hails from New York City, graduating summa cum laude from Queens College with a BA in elementary education and mathematics, as well as a New York State teaching certificate. She’s also an aspiring polyglot, always in a book and forever on the hunt for the perfect classic red lipstick.
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