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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% $108.54B
2 PM Philip Morris International Inc. Consumer Defensive 36.64% $243.50B
3 CALM Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 36.05% $3.63B
4 MNST Monster Beverage Corporation Consumer Defensive 29.17% $73.69B
5 KO The Coca-Cola Company Consumer Defensive 28.71% $323.59B
6 LAUR Laureate Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 25.33% $4.65B
7 PG The Procter & Gamble Company Consumer Defensive 24.26% $332.59B
8 LOPE Grand Canyon Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 24.04% $4.67B
9 PRDO Perdoceo Education Corporation Consumer Defensive 23.17% $2.22B
10 KDP Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. Consumer Defensive 21.53% $35.38B
11 UG United-Guardian, Inc. Consumer Defensive 21.27% $0.03B
12 TPB Turning Point Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 20.59% $1.53B
13 FIZZ National Beverage Corp. Consumer Defensive 19.60% $3.21B
14 CVSA Covista Inc. Consumer Defensive 19.10% $4.07B
15 ATGE Adtalem Global Education Inc Consumer Defensive 19.10% $3.40B
16 PFAI Pinnacle Food Group Limited Consumer Defensive 18.69% $0.05B
17 IPAR Interparfums, Inc. Consumer Defensive 18.16% $3.02B
18 CHD Church & Dwight Co., Inc. Consumer Defensive 17.37% $22.95B
19 GIS General Mills, Inc. Consumer Defensive 16.96% $18.85B
20 CL Colgate-Palmolive Company Consumer Defensive 16.22% $68.85B
21 KVUE Kenvue Inc. Consumer Defensive 15.96% $33.52B
22 MKC McCormick & Company, Incorporated Consumer Defensive 15.65% $14.32B
23 LGCY Legacy Education Inc. Consumer Defensive 15.56% $0.17B
24 BRBR BellRing Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 15.43% $1.89B
25 STG Sunlands Technology Group Consumer Defensive 14.97% $0.05B
26 LRN Stride, Inc. Consumer Defensive 14.97% $4.13B
27 K Kellanova Consumer Defensive 14.69% $29.03B
28 ODD Oddity Tech Ltd. Consumer Defensive 14.67% $0.85B
29 QSG QuantaSing Group Limited Consumer Defensive 14.56% $0.33B
30 KMB Kimberly-Clark Corporation Consumer Defensive 14.29% $32.52B
31 INGR Ingredion Incorporated Consumer Defensive 14.07% $7.18B
32 ORIS Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Consumer Defensive 13.85% $0.00B
33 TR Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.78% $3.16B
34 STRA Strategic Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.74% $1.85B
35 COCO The Vita Coco Company, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.53% $2.76B
36 COKE Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. Consumer Defensive 13.15% $12.66B
37 FTLF FitLife Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 12.35% $0.09B
38 HSY The Hershey Company Consumer Defensive 12.33% $38.79B
39 PEP PepsiCo, Inc. Consumer Defensive 12.24% $216.50B
40 ELF e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. Consumer Defensive 12.03% $3.95B
41 CAG Conagra Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 11.75% $7.11B
42 VITL Vital Farms, Inc. Consumer Defensive 11.64% $0.56B
43 MZTI The Marzetti Company Consumer Defensive 11.54% $3.75B
44 OLLI Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 11.24% $5.76B
45 CPB The Campbell's Company Consumer Defensive 10.96% $6.26B
46 SMPL The Simply Good Foods Company Consumer Defensive 10.81% $1.05B
47 LW Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 10.31% $6.04B
48 UTI Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Consumer Defensive 9.99% $2.07B
49 POST Post Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 9.80% $4.77B
50 RAY Raytech Holding Limited Consumer Defensive 9.71% $0.01B
51 HLF Herbalife Ltd. Consumer Defensive 9.55% $1.67B
52 TANH Tantech Holdings Ltd Consumer Defensive 9.28% $0.01B
53 MDLZ Mondelez International, Inc. Consumer Defensive 9.21% $73.25B
54 EDU New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.74% $9.43B
55 PPC Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Consumer Defensive 8.72% $8.01B
56 DLTR Dollar Tree, Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.52% $20.90B
57 DAO Youdao, Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.41% $1.29B
58 SFD Smithfield Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 8.32% $11.27B
59 CENTA Central Garden & Pet Company Consumer Defensive 7.99% $2.17B
60 UVV Universal Corporation Consumer Defensive 7.96% $1.29B
61 IH iHuman Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.80% $0.09B
62 SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.79% $6.92B
63 JBSS John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.65% $0.95B
64 LWAY Lifeway Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.61% $0.38B
65 ACU Acme United Corporation Consumer Defensive 7.49% $0.18B
66 HELE Helen of Troy Limited Consumer Defensive 7.48% $0.41B
67 APEI American Public Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.39% $1.12B
68 SAM The Boston Beer Company, Inc. Consumer Defensive 7.37% $2.55B
69 FRPT Freshpet, Inc. Consumer Defensive 6.87% $3.30B
70 PRMB Primo Brands Corporation Consumer Defensive 6.46% $7.38B
71 HRL Hormel Foods Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.94% $11.50B
72 LINC Lincoln Educational Services Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.85% $1.31B
73 CELH Celsius Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 5.61% $9.06B
74 LFVN LifeVantage Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.34% $0.06B
75 JJSF J&J Snack Foods Corp. Consumer Defensive 5.33% $1.51B
76 BGS B&G Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 5.31% $0.44B
77 DG Dollar General Corporation Consumer Defensive 5.16% $27.90B
78 NATR Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. Consumer Defensive 5.15% $0.46B
79 SENEA Seneca Foods Corporation Consumer Defensive 4.93% $0.89B
80 TGT Target Corporation Consumer Defensive 4.88% $56.11B
81 STKL SunOpta Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.85% $0.77B
82 GHC Graham Holdings Company Consumer Defensive 4.78% $4.88B
83 AVO Mission Produce, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.69% $1.01B
84 NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.66% $0.63B
85 DAR Darling Ingredients Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.46% $9.20B
86 SPB Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.45% $1.88B
87 KLG WK Kellogg Co Consumer Defensive 4.43% $1.99B
88 NUS Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.43% $0.38B
89 PSMT PriceSmart, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.41% $4.84B
90 EPC Edgewell Personal Care Company Consumer Defensive 4.34% $1.09B
91 WMT Walmart Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.18% $995.12B
92 MAMA Mama's Creations, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.14% $0.59B
93 COTY Coty Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.09% $2.08B
94 USNA USANA Health Sciences, Inc. Consumer Defensive 4.05% $0.35B
95 BJ BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.81% $11.94B
96 SYY Sysco Corporation Consumer Defensive 3.80% $35.41B
97 COST Costco Wholesale Corporation Consumer Defensive 3.77% $443.60B
98 CHEF The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.50% $2.68B
99 STZ Constellation Brands, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.48% $28.48B
100 FLO Flowers Foods, Inc. Consumer Defensive 3.31% $1.80B

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.