Whither Goest We?
The S&P 500 contains 87 stocks that can be characterized as consumer discretionary investments. Clearly, the products and services offered by some of these companies are more discretionary than others. I've subjectively picked a few of the companies that seem to me to be providing products or services that consumers could or would most easily dispense with (however reluctantly) in an economic downturn. Their six-month stock price change percentage are listed below.
Starbucks (-33.73%). Fortune Brands [hardware, spirit & wine, golf products] (-21.97%). Harman Intl. Industries [audio products] (-63.13%). Liz Claiborne (-47.76%). Brunswick Corp. [sporting goods and services] (-35.51%). Carnival Corp. [cruise lines] (-7.25%). Starwood Hotels & Resorts (-17.27%). Macy's (-20.91%). Expedia (-14.41%). Family Dollar Stores (-27.52%). Tiffany & Co. (-18.03%).
The six-month S&P 500 (as a whole) percentage change was -7.58%.
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