Investing IdeasBrowse All StocksMarkets
Have your own idea? Try our Stock Screener
Header cover image

U.K. (FTSE) Consumer Staples Sector Analysis

UpdatedApr 30, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies50
  • 7D-0.2%
  • 3M-7.4%
  • 1Y-4.2%
  • YTD-6.7%

Over the last 7 days, the Consumer Staples industry has remained flat. Furthermore, the industry has been flat for the past year as well. Earnings are forecast to grow by 6.7% annually.

Sector Valuation and Performance

Has the U.K. Consumer Staples Sector valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Thu, 30 Apr 2026UK£358.7bUK£292.9bUK£24.2b16.8x14.8x1.2x
Sat, 28 Mar 2026UK£369.5bUK£290.2bUK£24.1b16.8x15.3x1.3x
Mon, 23 Feb 2026UK£424.5bUK£291.2bUK£22.2b20x19.2x1.5x
Wed, 21 Jan 2026UK£386.9bUK£298.7bUK£17.4b18.2x22.3x1.3x
Fri, 19 Dec 2025UK£394.6bUK£301.4bUK£17.5b18.5x22.6x1.3x
Sun, 16 Nov 2025UK£393.3bUK£300.8bUK£18.0b17.6x21.9x1.3x
Tue, 14 Oct 2025UK£387.0bUK£298.2bUK£18.4b17.9x21x1.3x
Thu, 11 Sep 2025UK£399.7bUK£296.4bUK£18.4b18.4x21.7x1.3x
Sat, 09 Aug 2025UK£400.2bUK£296.4bUK£18.4b19.4x21.8x1.3x
Mon, 07 Jul 2025UK£378.0bUK£296.8bUK£19.5b19.4x19.4x1.3x
Wed, 04 Jun 2025UK£378.8bUK£295.7bUK£19.5b20.2x19.4x1.3x
Fri, 02 May 2025UK£379.4bUK£295.4bUK£19.7b17.1x19.3x1.3x
Sun, 30 Mar 2025UK£368.0bUK£294.4bUK£19.8b16.4x18.6x1.2x
Tue, 25 Feb 2025UK£369.4bUK£296.1bUK£20.0b17.2x18.5x1.2x
Thu, 23 Jan 2025UK£403.4bUK£308.8bUK£5.3b16.7x76.5x1.3x
Sat, 21 Dec 2024UK£406.4bUK£309.0bUK£5.2b17.9x78.1x1.3x
Mon, 18 Nov 2024UK£398.3bUK£308.8bUK£4.7b17.2x85.6x1.3x
Wed, 16 Oct 2024UK£412.1bUK£307.6bUK£4.1b18.1x101.2x1.3x
Fri, 13 Sep 2024UK£415.8bUK£307.4bUK£4.0b16.8x104.5x1.4x
Sun, 11 Aug 2024UK£401.6bUK£312.4bUK£4.5b16.7x88.7x1.3x
Tue, 09 Jul 2024UK£386.6bUK£350.8bUK£5.2b15.9x74.9x1.1x
Thu, 06 Jun 2024UK£394.5bUK£356.7bUK£5.7b16.9x69.7x1.1x
Sat, 04 May 2024UK£386.4bUK£351.5bUK£5.7b16.9x67.4x1.1x
Mon, 01 Apr 2024UK£384.4bUK£343.9bUK£4.7b16.8x82.3x1.1x
Wed, 28 Feb 2024UK£388.1bUK£344.0bUK£5.2b17.2x74.7x1.1x
Fri, 26 Jan 2024UK£378.4bUK£363.1bUK£31.0b15.9x12.2x1x
Sun, 24 Dec 2023UK£383.8bUK£362.7bUK£31.1b16.7x12.3x1.1x
Tue, 21 Nov 2023UK£382.7bUK£363.8bUK£31.0b16.5x12.4x1.1x
Thu, 19 Oct 2023UK£393.3bUK£356.0bUK£29.5b16.2x13.3x1.1x
Sat, 16 Sep 2023UK£405.0bUK£353.8bUK£28.9b16.7x14x1.1x
Mon, 14 Aug 2023UK£406.0bUK£351.8bUK£28.7b16x14.1x1.2x
Wed, 12 Jul 2023UK£392.3bUK£351.8bUK£25.6b15.6x15.3x1.1x
Fri, 09 Jun 2023UK£401.1bUK£355.5bUK£25.8b16.3x15.6x1.1x
Sun, 07 May 2023UK£427.5bUK£325.3bUK£25.3b17.2x16.9x1.3x
Price to Earnings Ratio

16.9x


Total Market Cap: UK£427.5bTotal Earnings: UK£25.3bTotal Revenue: UK£325.3bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Consumer Staples Sector Price to Earnings3Y Average 40x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are pessimistic on the British Consumer Staples industry, indicating that they anticipate long term growth rates will be lower than they have historically.
  • The industry is trading at a PE ratio of 15.0x which is lower than its 3-year average PE of 40.0x.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PS ratio of 1.2x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Consumer Staples industry have remained mostly flat over the last three years.
  • Meanwhile revenues for these companies have declined 3.4% per year.
  • This means that the cost of doing business could be reducing since sales have declined but profits have remained steady.

Industry Trends

Which industries have driven the changes within the U.K. Consumer Staples sector?

GB Market-2.70%
Consumer Staples-0.18%
Tobacco2.39%
Personal Products0.32%
Food-0.44%
Household Products-1.06%
Beverage-1.95%
Food and Staples Retail-4.45%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Food and Staples Retail industry which is trading above its 3-year average PE ratio of 19.9x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 12.7%, which is higher than its past year's earnings decline of 14.4% per year.
  • Investors are most pessimistic about the Household Products industry, which is trading below its 3-year average of 21.9x.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the Food and Staples Retail industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 13% over the next 5 years.
  • This is better than its past earnings decline of 14% per year.
  • In contrast, the Household Products industry is expected to see its earnings decline by 4.6% per year over the next few years.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
BATS British American TobaccoUK£42.592.8%
+UK£2.5b		31.1%PE12x
ULVR UnileverUK£42.150.4%
+UK£371.2m		-21.3%PE18.7x
IMB Imperial BrandsUK£27.710.7%
+UK£127.1m		-9.9%PE10.4x
MHPC MHPUS$9.709.5%
+US$89.9m		93.2%PE4.9x
CCH Coca-Cola HBCUK£42.390.3%
+UK£47.4m		8.7%PE19x

Latest News

ABF
UK£18.40
Associated British Foods
7D
-0.7%
1Y
-10.9%

ABF: Execution Risks And Margin Pressure Will Weigh On Future Returns

Associated British Foods' analyst price target has been cut by roughly £1.63 per share as analysts factor in updated fair value estimates, a slightly higher discount rate, and adjustments to revenue growth, profit margin, and future P/E assumptions following recent target reductions and a downgrade from major banks. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research has turned more cautious on Associated British Foods, with several bearish analysts trimming price targets by between £1.10 and £1.60 per share and one institution shifting to a more negative rating.
MHPC
US$9.70
MHP
7D
9.5%
1Y
93.2%
TATE
UK£3.62
Tate & Lyle
7D
1.4%
1Y
-35.2%

TATE: Higher Future P/E Assumptions Will Support Bullish Case For Upside

Analysts have trimmed their consolidated price target for Tate & Lyle by around £0.05 per share, reflecting refreshed assumptions around slightly higher revenue growth, lower profit margins, and a higher future P/E multiple. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research summarises a series of price target trims around Tate & Lyle, paired with updated assumptions on growth, margins, and valuation multiples.
SBRY
UK£3.27
J Sainsbury
7D
-7.3%
1Y
22.6%

SBRY: Future Returns Will Rely On Balanced P/E Expectations And Modest Fair Value Shifts

J Sainsbury's analyst price target has been revised higher to £3.55 from £3.52, as analysts factor in updated assumptions on fair value, discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E, following a mix of recent target increases and a downgrade in Street research. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research around J Sainsbury reflects a mix of optimism on valuation upside and caution on execution risks, which helps explain the small uplift in the consolidated price target to £3.55.
FVA
UK£1.37
Fevara
7D
7.1%
1Y
7.1%
MPE
UK£17.70
M.P. Evans Group
7D
0.9%
1Y
75.2%

MPE: Progressive Dividend Policy Will Support Steady Future Return Profile

Analysts have lifted their price target for M.P. Evans Group to £16.66, citing an unchanged discount rate and profitability assumptions, along with a slightly higher implied future P/E multiple as key supports for the revised view. What's in the News The board is recommending a final dividend of £0.42 per share for the year ended 31 December 2025, compared with £0.375 per share for 2024 (Key Developments).
CWK
UK£52.70
Cranswick
7D
-1.7%
1Y
1.7%
TSCO
UK£4.81
Tesco
7D
-2.9%
1Y
29.7%

TSCO: Future Returns Will Depend On Margins And Share Repurchase Discipline

Analysts have raised the Tesco price target to reflect a fair value estimate of £5.10, supported by slightly firmer profit margin assumptions, a marginally lower discount rate, and a small adjustment to future P/E expectations, even as projected revenue growth is set at a more modest level. Analyst Commentary Recent research on Tesco reflects a mix of confidence in the current setup and attention to execution risks, with several large banks revisiting their fair value assumptions and price targets.
CCH
UK£42.39
Coca-Cola HBC
7D
0.3%
1Y
8.7%

CCH: Future Dividend Policy Will Support Confidence In Execution

Analysts have trimmed their average price target for Coca-Cola HBC by £100 to £4,600, as mixed recent research combines lower targets from Morgan Stanley and a more cautious stance from Kepler Cheuvreux with earlier target increases from Citi and JPMorgan. Analyst Commentary Recent research on Coca-Cola HBC reflects a mix of caution and optimism, with some firms trimming targets while others keep a constructive stance on the company.
IMB
UK£27.71
Imperial Brands
7D
0.7%
1Y
-9.9%

IMB: Earnings Resilience And Cash Flows Will Support Future Upside

The analyst price target for Imperial Brands has been reduced by about £0.55. Analysts cite slightly higher discount rate assumptions and modestly softer revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E expectations as the key drivers of the change.
RKT
UK£46.43
Reckitt Benckiser Group
7D
-1.0%
1Y
-7.9%

RKT: Future Returns Will Hinge On Dividend And Capital Return Delivery

Analysts have trimmed the fair value estimate for Reckitt Benckiser Group from about £64.42 to £63.61, reflecting slightly softer revenue growth and profit margin assumptions, even as recent research includes both price target cuts and an upgrade on the shares. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Reckitt Benckiser Group has mixed signals, with some analysts trimming price targets while another has upgraded the shares, reflecting a balance of confidence in the franchise and caution around execution and earnings quality.
BATS
UK£42.59
British American Tobacco
7D
2.8%
1Y
31.1%

BATS: Future Returns Will Reflect Dividend Dependability And Strengthened Leadership Outlook

Analysts have nudged their price target for British American Tobacco up slightly to £46.21 from £45.85, reflecting updated assumptions around discount rates, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E multiples. What's in the News British American Tobacco appointed Dragos Constantinescu as Chief Financial Officer, effective 1 September 2026, with Javed Iqbal to continue as Interim CFO until then and thereafter remain Director, Digital & Information (company announcement).
OCDO
UK£1.94
Ocado Group
7D
-11.0%
1Y
-31.2%

OCDO: Lower Discount Rate Will Support Renewed Upside Potential

Analysts have made a small upward revision to their Ocado Group fair value estimate to £2.68, citing slightly adjusted assumptions on discount rate, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E expectations. Valuation Changes Fair Value: Revised slightly higher at £2.68 per share, reflecting a marginal adjustment of around 0.2%.
ULVR
UK£42.15
Unilever
7D
0.4%
1Y
-21.3%

ULVR: Planned Foods Separation With Margin Discipline Is Expected To Unlock Upside

Unilever's updated analyst fair value has shifted slightly lower to about £52.14 per share, as analysts factor in a higher discount rate and slightly more cautious revenue growth assumptions, while still recognizing stable profit margins and a broadly unchanged view of its future P/E ratio. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Unilever points to a mixed but engaged view, with analysts revisiting both ratings and price targets in light of the latest results and valuation reset.
DGE
UK£14.45
Diageo
7D
-3.0%
1Y
-30.9%

DGE: Tighter Execution Risks And Cautious Sector Tone Will Restrain Future Multiple

Narrative Update on Diageo The analyst price target for Diageo has been reduced by about £0.20. Analysts have attributed this change to slightly lower revenue assumptions, along with a small improvement in margin and future P/E expectations that together support the revised valuation.
MKS
UK£3.25
Marks and Spencer Group
7D
-6.7%
1Y
-16.5%

MKS: Refined Cash Flow Assumptions Will Support Future Upside From Tight Range

Analysts have nudged their fair value assumptions only slightly while trimming the average price target on Marks and Spencer Group to around £4.35 to £4.15, reflecting small tweaks to discount rate, revenue growth and profit margin assumptions in recent Citi and Berenberg research. Analyst Commentary Bullish Takeaways Bullish analysts highlight that recent price targets in the £4.15 to £4.35 range still sit meaningfully above current fair value assumptions, which they see as compatible with an appealing risk reward profile.