Stocks pricing in the least growth: Consumer Defensive
A reverse DCF asks what yearly free cash flow growth today's price assumes (10 years at a 9% discount rate, 3% after). Consumer Defensive companies worth over $1 billion with the lowest answer: the market expects the least. One unusually strong year of cash flow can also land a company here, so check its history.
Top of the list: Flowers Foods (FLO) -19.1%; Bellring Brands LLC (BRBR) -18.7%; Herbalife Nutrition (HLF) -13.9%.
The median growth priced in across these 50 companies is -2.1%.
| # | Company | Growth priced in | FCF growth delivered | P/FCF | P/E | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flowers Foods IncFLO | -19.1% | +2.5% | 3.59x | 14.5x | $1.1B |
| 2 | Bellring Brands LLCBRBR | -18.7% | +9.4% | 4.07x | 6.94x | $1.0B |
| 3 | Herbalife Nutrition LtdHLF | -13.9% | +1.4% | 5.16x | 5.53x | $1.3B |
| 4 | Pilgrims Pride CorpPPC | -10.9% | +10.5% | 10.6x | 7.90x | $7.0B |
| 5 | ConAgra Foods IncCAG | -10.9% | +0.6% | 4.72x | — | $6.2B |
| 6 | Post Holdings IncPOST | -10.6% | +2.8% | 6.48x | 11.7x | $3.2B |
| 7 | Coty IncCOTY | -9.9% | +0.8% | 8.46x | — | $2.3B |
| 8 | Molson Coors Brewing Co Class BTAP | -9.8% | +3.5% | 6.71x | — | $7.2B |
| 9 | United Natural Foods IncUNFI | -7.3% | +4.5% | 10.9x | — | $2.6B |
| 10 | Campbell’s CoCPB | -6.9% | -3.7% | 7.99x | 10.3x | $5.6B |
| 11 | Boston Beer Company IncSAM | -6.7% | +8.4% | 8.43x | 20.6x | $1.8B |
| 12 | Central Garden & Pet CompanyCENT | -6.5% | +10.0% | 8.53x | 14.4x | $2.5B |
| 13 | Cal-Maine Foods IncCALM | -6.0% | +7.8% | 2.76x | 4.33x | $2.9B |
| 14 | Archer-Daniels-Midland CompanyADM | -5.8% | -6.2% | 8.89x | 34.6x | $37.3B |
| 15 | Perdoceo Education CorpPRDO | -5.6% | +65.3% | 9.44x | 12.5x | $2.0B |
| 16 | Stride IncLRN | -5.5% | +22.5% | 9.71x | 13.3x | $3.6B |
| 17 | Spectrum Brands Holdings IncSPB | -4.3% | -16.7% | 9.94x | 13.9x | $1.6B |
| 18 | General Mills IncGIS | -3.5% | -0.7% | 7.55x | — | $17.3B |
| 19 | Smithfield Foods, Inc. Common StockSFD | -3.4% | +3.6% | 10.7x | 7.58x | $7.7B |
| 20 | McGraw Hill, Inc.MH | -3.1% | +26.4% | 5.59x | — | $2.7B |
| 21 | Covista Inc.CVSA | -2.9% | +8.5% | 15.2x | 18.7x | $4.4B |
| 22 | Ingredion IncorporatedINGR | -2.9% | +0.5% | 11.1x | 10.4x | $5.7B |
| 23 | Kroger CompanyKR | -2.6% | +22.1% | 12.1x | 40.0x | $40.5B |
| 24 | Dollar General CorporationDG | -2.5% | +9.7% | 11.8x | 18.7x | $28.2B |
| 25 | Albertsons CompaniesACI | -2.3% | +2.1% | 11.5x | 30.5x | $6.1B |
| 26 | New Oriental Education & TechnologyEDU | -2.0% | +4.7% | 14.8x | 20.9x | $9.4B |
| 27 | Strategic Education IncSTRA | -1.6% | +19.3% | 12.4x | 14.8x | $1.9B |
| 28 | Constellation Brands Inc Class ASTZ | -1.5% | +9.6% | 12.7x | 13.7x | $22.7B |
| 29 | Lamb Weston Holdings IncLW | -1.2% | +14.5% | 29.2x | 22.8x | $6.7B |
| 30 | The Clorox CompanyCLX | -0.8% | +2.6% | 12.8x | 13.1x | $9.8B |
| 31 | Anheuser Busch Inbev NV ADRBUD | -0.7% | +9.1% | 13.4x | 22.8x | $151.1B |
| 32 | Altria GroupMO | -0.6% | +10.7% | 13.5x | 15.3x | $122.3B |
| 33 | The Marzetti CompanyMZTI | -0.5% | +6.3% | 13.2x | 15.3x | $2.7B |
| 34 | Sprouts Farmers Market LLCSFM | -0.3% | +22.9% | 13.4x | 12.8x | $6.2B |
| 35 | Brown-Forman CorporationBF-B | -0.2% | +5.7% | 28.3x | 15.5x | $12.2B |
| 36 | Universal CorporationUVV | -0.1% | -10.3% | 4.04x | 12.6x | $1.1B |
| 37 | Coursera IncCOUR | -0.1% | +386.1% | 13.7x | — | $1.5B |
| 38 | JBS N.V.JBS | +0.1% | -2.5% | 2.95x | 6.87x | $12.2B |
| 39 | TAL Education GroupTAL | +0.3% | +5.7% | 25.0x | 4.68x | $7.2B |
| 40 | Performance Food Group CoPFGC | +0.3% | +36.8% | 20.4x | 43.6x | $14.4B |
| 41 | Darling Ingredients IncDAR | +0.4% | +18.5% | 14.1x | 43.7x | $9.6B |
| 42 | Tyson Foods IncTSN | +1.6% | -5.8% | 15.9x | 41.8x | $18.7B |
| 43 | McCormick & Company IncorporatedMKC | +2.9% | +4.4% | 16.9x | 7.61x | $12.5B |
| 44 | Grand Canyon Education IncLOPE | +3.0% | +16.7% | 17.6x | 19.9x | $4.2B |
| 45 | National Beverage CorpFIZZ | +3.3% | +5.0% | 16.6x | 15.1x | $2.8B |
| 46 | Hershey CoHSY | +3.3% | +10.5% | 18.6x | 29.8x | $32.5B |
| 47 | Graham Holdings CoGHC | +3.7% | +3.9% | 18.7x | 17.2x | $5.0B |
| 48 | Universal Technical Institute IncUTI | +4.0% | +23.9% | 19.2x | 25.3x | $1.1B |
| 49 | J & J Snack Foods CorpJJSF | +4.1% | +1.4% | 19.1x | 28.1x | $1.6B |
| 50 | Sysco CorporationSYY | +4.2% | +2.5% | 20.8x | 21.5x | $37.0B |
Ranked from each company's latest price and reported results. Companies need a page on Investingly (SEC statements on file). Open any company for its reverse DCF, insider buying and 13F holders.
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Questions
Which company ranks first on the stocks pricing in the least growth: consumer defensive list?
Flowers Foods (FLO), with a growth priced in of -19.1%, as of October 12, 2026.
How is this list built?
A reverse DCF asks what yearly free cash flow growth today's price assumes (10 years at a 9% discount rate, 3% after). US companies worth over $1 billion with the lowest answer: the market expects the least. One unusually strong year of cash flow can also land a company here, so check its history. It shows the top 50 and is rebuilt every day.
Prices and ratios as of Oct 11, 2026. Statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.