Sector Report4 min read
Consumer Staples: Nine A-Grades, Retailers Imploding
Tobacco prints 45% margins while Walmart and Costco struggle to hit 3%. The sector split is getting wider.
Sep 14, 2026
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Food, beverage, household products, and retail staples
Sector classifications follow the GICS industry standard.
Companies ranked by free cash flow margin
Health grades across the sector
Tobacco prints 45% margins while Walmart and Costco struggle to hit 3%. The sector split is getting wider.
Tobacco prints 45% margins while Walmart barely clears 2%. Nine A-grades, but only tobacco and Monster look built to last.
Tobacco and beverages print cash. Big retail burns it. The sector splits cleanly between generators and destroyers.