Constellation Brands

If there is any company where the products stay in style it’s this one, which only has 7% foreign sales. Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) is a leading global producer and marketer of beverage alcohol. Its wide-ranging portfolio spans wine, spirits, and imported beer.

The company is one of the world’s largest wine companies overall and is the largest global premium wine company. Key brands include Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Blackstone, Arbor Mist, Black Velvet, and SVEDKA vodka. It also owns 100 percent of the rights to brew, market, and sell Modelo’s Mexican beers in the US.

The company made a gigantic $3.8 billion investment in cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation in 2018 to increase its holdings in the company. The record investment reflects a world in which pot has become ubiquitous as its counterculture stigma fades and more states legalize use.

Investors are paid a 1.29% dividend. The Goldman Sachs team has their price target posted at $273, and the consensus is set higher at $275.77. The final trade for Monday was reported at $252.42.

Merck

This company remains a leading healthcare stock for conservative investors. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health.

The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines.

The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products.

Merck serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Ridgeback Biotherapeutics; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV.

Investors are paid a solid 2.65% dividend. Goldman Sachs has a $110 target price. Merck has a consensus target across Wall Street of $100.90, which compares with Monday’s closing print of $105.61.

NRG

This company has made a nice run off the lows and is a solid utility idea for more conservative investors. NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated power company in the United States. It operates through Texas, East, and West. The company is involved in producing, selling, and delivering electricity and related products and services to 3.6 million residential, industrial, and commercial consumers.

The company generates electricity using natural gas, coal, oil, solar, nuclear, and battery storage. The company also provides system power, distributed generation, renewable products, backup generation, storage, distributed solar, demand response, energy efficiency, advisory, and on-site energy solutions; and carbon management and specialty services.

In addition, NRG trades in electric power, natural gas, and related commodities; environmental products; weather products; and financial products, including forwards, futures, options, and swaps. Further, the company procures fuels; provides transportation services; and directly sells energy, services, and products and services to retail customers under the NRG, Reliant, Green Mountain Energy, Stream, XOOM Energy, and other brand names.

Investors are paid a very safe and solid 3.31% dividend. The Goldman Sachs price objective is $49, and that compares with a consensus figure which is posted at $45.10. The shares closed Monday at $41.16.

PepsiCo

This is a top consumer staples stock that will be supplying the goods for football tailgates and parties. PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) operates as a food and beverage company worldwide. Its Frito-Lay North America segment offers Lays and Ruffles potato chips; Doritos, Tostitos, and Santitas tortilla chips; and Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, branded dips, and Fritos corn chips.

The company’s Quaker Foods North America segment provides Quaker oatmeal, grits, rice cakes, natural granola, and oat squares; Pearl Milling mixes and syrups, Quaker Chewy granola bars, Cap’n Crunch cereal, Life cereal, and Rice-A-Roni side dishes.