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Top Consumer Defensive Stocks by Operating Margin

Top consumer defensive companies ranked by operating margin, latest annual filings.

What Operating Margin Means for Consumer Defensive Companies

Operating margin in consumer defensive reflects how efficiently a staples business, whether packaged food, beverages, household goods, or grocery retail, converts steady demand into operating profit after raw material costs, marketing, distribution, and overhead. Branded packaged-goods leaders sit in the middle of the sector range, tobacco typically earns notoriously wide operating margins thanks to addictive demand and entrenched pricing, while grocery chains and discount retailers run on some of the thinnest margins in the listed market, built on volume rather than unit economics.

Why It Matters in Consumer Defensive

Because staples volume is relatively insensitive to the economic cycle, operating margin tends to move with commodity input discipline and the ability to pass cost through at shelf. Brands with durable pricing power protect margin when input prices spike, while private-label pressure compresses it. Still, currency translation and promotional timing can swing reported margin meaningfully quarter to quarter in global staples firms, which is one reason the trailing twelve-month figure is more informative than any single period.

What to Read Alongside

Pair operating margin with [Gross Margin](/financials/top-gross-margin-stocks/consumer-defensive/) to isolate the pricing-versus-input-cost dynamic before marketing spend, [Revenue](/financials/top-revenue-stocks/consumer-defensive/) to size the business and gauge volume stability, and [Net Margin](/financials/top-net-margin-stocks/consumer-defensive/) for the after-tax picture.

Data as of FY 2025 100 companies Rhea AI
# Symbol Company Sector
1 MO Altria Group, Inc. Consumer Defensive 42.52% $120.55B
2 PM Philip Morris International Inc. Consumer Defensive 36.64% $277.88B
3 CALM Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 36.05% $3.58B
4 STZ Constellation Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 29.78% $24.26B
5 MNST Monster Beverage Corporation Consumer Defensive 29.17% $87.58B
6 KO The Coca-Cola Company Consumer Defensive 28.71% $341.96B
7 LAUR Laureate Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 25.33% $4.73B
8 PG The Procter & Gamble Company Consumer Defensive 24.26% $341.23B
9 LOPE Grand Canyon Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 24.04% $4.05B
10 PRDO Perdoceo Education Corporation Consumer Defensive 23.17% $2.15B
11 KDP Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. Consumer Defensive 21.53% $41.54B
12 UG United-Guardian, Inc. Consumer Defensive 21.27% $0.03B
13 TPB Turning Point Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 20.59% $1.68B
14 FIZZ National Beverage Corp. Consumer Defensive 19.60% $3.42B
15 CVSA Covista Inc. Consumer Defensive 19.10% $4.31B
16 ATGE Adtalem Global Education Inc Consumer Defensive 19.10% $3.40B
17 STG Sunlands Technology Group Consumer Defensive 18.64% $0.05B
18 FTLF FitLife Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 18.56% $0.09B
19 IPAR Interparfums, Inc. Consumer Defensive 18.16% $2.92B
20 CHD Church & Dwight Co., Inc. Consumer Defensive 17.37% $22.92B
21 GIS General Mills, Inc. Consumer Defensive 16.96% $17.69B
22 CL Colgate-Palmolive Company Consumer Defensive 16.22% $70.88B
23 KVUE Kenvue Inc. Consumer Defensive 15.96% $34.00B
24 MKC McCormick & Company, Incorporated Consumer Defensive 15.65% $12.70B
25 LGCY Legacy Education Inc. Consumer Defensive 15.56% $0.14B
26 BRBR BellRing Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 15.43% $1.02B
27 LRN Stride, Inc. Consumer Defensive 14.97% $4.25B
28 K Kellanova Consumer Defensive 14.69% $29.03B
29 ODD Oddity Tech Ltd. Consumer Defensive 14.67% $0.56B
30 QSG QuantaSing Group Limited Consumer Defensive 14.56% $0.33B
31 KMB Kimberly-Clark Corporation Consumer Defensive 14.29% $32.88B
32 INGR Ingredion Incorporated Consumer Defensive 14.07% $6.30B
33 TR Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.78% $2.89B
34 STRA Strategic Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.74% $1.84B
35 COCO The Vita Coco Company, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.53% $4.23B
36 COKE Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.15% $11.98B
37 AGCC Agencia Comercial Spirits Ltd Consumer Defensive 12.63% $0.34B
38 HSY The Hershey Company Consumer Defensive 12.33% $37.44B
39 PEP PepsiCo, Inc. Consumer Defensive 12.24% $193.97B
40 CAG Conagra Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 11.75% $6.22B
41 VITL Vital Farms, Inc. Consumer Defensive 11.64% $0.43B
42 MZTI The Marzetti Company Consumer Defensive 11.54% $2.94B
43 OLLI Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 11.24% $4.64B
44 CPB The Campbell's Company Consumer Defensive 10.96% $6.46B
45 SMPL The Simply Good Foods Company Consumer Defensive 10.81% $1.08B
46 LW Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 10.31% $5.82B
47 UTI Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Consumer Defensive 9.99% $2.40B
48 POST Post Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 9.80% $4.10B
49 RAY Raytech Holding Limited Consumer Defensive 9.71% $0.01B
50 HLF Herbalife Ltd. Consumer Defensive 9.55% $1.18B
51 MDLZ Mondelez International, Inc. Consumer Defensive 9.21% $79.64B
52 EDU New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.74% $7.28B
53 PPC Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Consumer Defensive 8.72% $7.11B
54 DLTR Dollar Tree, Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.52% $20.91B
55 SFD Smithfield Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.32% $10.57B
56 RLX RLX Technology Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.30% $2.44B
57 IH iHuman Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.27% $0.08B
58 CENT Central Garden & Pet Company Consumer Defensive 7.99% $2.51B
59 SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.79% $7.79B
60 JBSS John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.65% $0.88B
61 LWAY Lifeway Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.61% $0.36B
62 ACU Acme United Corporation Consumer Defensive 7.49% $0.17B
63 APEI American Public Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.39% $0.97B
64 SAM The Boston Beer Company, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.37% $1.72B
65 FRPT Freshpet, Inc. Consumer Defensive 6.87% $2.44B
66 PRMB Primo Brands Corporation Consumer Defensive 6.46% $8.33B
67 HRL Hormel Foods Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.94% $13.00B
68 LINC Lincoln Educational Services Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.85% $1.52B
69 UVV Universal Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.84% $1.34B
70 CELH Celsius Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 5.61% $7.19B
71 LFVN LifeVantage Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.34% $0.13B
72 JJSF J&J Snack Foods Corp. Consumer Defensive 5.33% $1.41B
73 BGS B&G Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 5.31% $0.32B
74 DG Dollar General Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.16% $22.87B
75 NATR Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. Consumer Defensive 5.15% $0.35B
76 SENEB Seneca Foods Corporation Consumer Defensive 4.93% $0.99B
77 TGT Target Corporation Consumer Defensive 4.88% $55.67B
78 STKL SunOpta Inc Consumer Defensive 4.85% $0.77B
79 GHC Graham Holdings Company Consumer Defensive 4.78% $4.88B
80 AVO Mission Produce, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.69% $0.90B
81 NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.66% $0.69B
82 ELF e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.50% $2.95B
83 DAR Darling Ingredients Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.46% $9.45B
84 SPB Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.45% $1.89B
85 KLG WK Kellogg Co Consumer Defensive 4.43% $1.99B
86 NUS Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.43% $0.26B
87 PSMT PriceSmart, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.41% $5.37B
88 EPC Edgewell Personal Care Company Consumer Defensive 4.34% $0.92B
89 WMT Walmart Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.18% $946.06B
90 MAMA Mama's Creations, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.14% $0.62B
91 COTY Coty Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.09% $1.73B
92 USNA USANA Health Sciences, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.05% $0.33B
93 BJ BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.81% $11.39B
94 SYY Sysco Corporation Consumer Defensive 3.80% $36.48B
95 COST Costco Wholesale Corporation Consumer Defensive 3.77% $431.00B
96 DAO Youdao, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.75% $1.41B
97 CHEF The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.50% $3.29B
98 FLO Flowers Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.31% $1.59B
99 FDP Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.18% $1.40B
100 VLGEA Village Super Market, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.11% $0.59B

How this ranking is built

Companies are ranked by operating margin as reported in their most recent annual filing with the SEC. Figures shown are in US dollars (or percent, as noted), rounded to two decimals.

  • Source: annual 10-K / 20-F filings from companies trading on US exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX).
  • Fiscal year: whichever annual period the company has most recently filed. Fiscal years don't always align with the calendar year, so the "as of FY" stamp above reflects the most common year across the table.
  • Filtered out: warrants, preferred shares, and duplicate listings that share a parent company's financials.
  • Update cadence: refreshed as companies file new annual reports (typically within 60–90 days of fiscal year end).

Not financial advice. This is a research tool, not a recommendation.