Yahoo Finance 7 Stocks That Soar in a Recession
These stocks weathered the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
The financial crisis of 2008-2009 wreaked havoc on the stock market. In 2008 alone, the Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 38.5 percent of its value -- the worst year since 1931 -- in the depths of the Great Recession. But while the vast majority of equities plummeted in 2008, there were pockets of the market that showed remarkable resilience. Looking back, there were seven outstanding recession-proof stocks that managed to rally during Wall Street's darkest days. While there's no guarantee these same stocks will outperform in the next downturn, they should give investors an idea about what qualities the market rewards in times of economic crisis.
Hasbro (ticker: HAS)
While consumers were reining in spending dramatically in 2008, the toy and entertainment company Hasbro was thriving. Hasbro grew its revenue for a fourth consecutive year in 2008, grew earnings for an eighth straight year, and increased its quarterly dividend by 25 percent. Driven in part by a strong performance of its licensed brand business, franchises like Star Wars, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man helped HAS stock thrive in a time of turmoil. Hasbro's own Transformers franchise also performed quite well, showing once again that entertainment is frequently a reprieve for people during economic downturns.
2008 return: 16.8 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 55.3 percent
Ross Stores (ROST)
Discount clothing retailer Ross Stores saw its shares rally in 2008 as consumers increasingly exercised cost consciousness in their shopping habits. "Our merchandise assortments benefited from the huge amount of close-out opportunities in the marketplace," company officials say in the 2008 annual report, which reported both record sales and earnings that year. Ross Stores was in the midst of a rapid expansion during the recession, and its store count rose from 890 to 956 in 2008 as well; combined with same-store sales growth and tighter inventory management, it's no wonder ROST stock beat the market by 56 percent.
2008 return: 17.6 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 56.1 percent
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT)
Like Ross Stores, Wal-Mart was a clear beneficiary of the dramatically weakened economic environment during the Great Recession, as shoppers rushed to minimize expenses by shopping at discount retailers. Wal-Mart's revenue grew 7.2 percent in the single worst year for the economy in generations, a testament to its endurance. The big-box retailer also managed to grow earnings per share and increase its dividend by 8 percent in the same year. The fact that WMT paid a dividend (and was increasing it) at a time many dividend stocks were slashing or ceasing payments altogether likely helped soothe investor concerns.
2008 return: 20 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 58.5 percent
Amgen (AMGN)
Biotech giant Amgen insulated itself from recession in a way quite different than previous companies on this list: It made vital cancer, anemia and other drugs that consumers couldn't go without. Product revenue grew just 3 percent in 2008, but that wasn't too shabby considering most Americans were in panic mode. The company also wisely decided to take advantage of the market crisis, buying back millions of shares below $56, less than a third their current price. That year also brought positive clinical trial results for denosumab, a drug that would account for $2.7 billion in revenue by 2015.
2008 return: 24.3 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 62.8 percent
Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (BUD)
In summary, the recession-proof industries thus far have hailed from discount retail, entertainment, and health care. Anheuser-Busch Inbev, it could be argued, is a bit of a mix of all three, combining cheap beer with self-medication and the need to escape reality. Revenue grew by 5 percent in 2008, which wasn't shabby but wasn't anything to write home about either. The main catalyst driving the stock's tremendous outperformance that year, however, was the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch at the hands of Inbev. Mergers and acquisitions typically reward shareholders with a premium, and this deal was no different.
2008 return: 39.4 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 77.9 percent
Panera Bread Co. (PNRA)
It might surprise you that Panera Bread was one of the best stocks in 2008's lousy market, but it's true. PNRA stock rallied for a classic reason: the underlying business was thriving. Panera grew from 1,230 to 1,325 locations and same-store sales rose 5.5 percent, driving 22 percent revenue growth. It spent almost 80 percent more than it had in 2007 buying back its own stock, reducing its share count by 5.5 percent in a single year. With zero long-term debt and growing cash flows, Panera was one of Wall Street's early glimpses into the success that fast-casual can bring.
2008 return: 45.8 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 84.3 percent
Dollar Tree (DLTR)
Think a chain of variety stores in which every item costs $1 or less might resonate with cash-strapped consumers? You'd be right! Dollar Tree is just such a store, and its decision to branch out from party favors and into basic household consumables like cleaning supplies and groceries looked brilliant in 2008. CEO Bob Sasser called it a "key to our relevance in both good times and bad," and he was right. Doubling the number of stores that accepted food stamps was also wise, helping to contribute to DLTR outperforming the market by nearly 100 percentage points that year.
2008 return: 60.8 percent
Outperformance of S&P 500: 99.3 percent
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