5 Defensive Stocks Holding Up During the Selling Pressure

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By Chris Lange Updated Published
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5 Defensive Stocks Holding Up During the Selling Pressure

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Over the past week, we have seen serious carnage in the markets. To kick off this week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,175 points, the largest single-day point loss in the history of the index. Since then, the markets picked up on Tuesday and were relatively flat Wednesday, but Thursday has been an entirely different story.

After a couple volatile days in the middle of the week, the markets took a turn for the worse yet again. Although, as markets continue to drop this does provide for an attractive entry point. The question is how far will markets fall and what defensive stocks can provide the best cover in the meantime.

The market sell-off does not seem to be abating, and while some of these stocks may be dipping in Thursday’s session, it is worth pointing out that on the whole they are doing much better than most of the market is, considering this selling pressure.

24/7 Wall St. has picked out a handful of defensive stocks that are standing up to Thursday’s mounting selling pressure. We have included a recent trading history, as well as a consensus price target and a 52-week trading range.

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American Water Works Co. Inc. (NYSE: AWK) shares were last seen down about 0.5% at $77.51, with a consensus price target of $93.85 and a 52-week range of $71.89 to $92.37.

Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) shares were recently up 0.8% at $128.80, with a 52-week range of $124.09 to $150.40 and a consensus price target of $140.14.

Conagra Brands Inc. (NYSE: CAG) shares were trading relatively flat at $35.84, with a consensus price target of $42.21 and a 52-week range of $32.16 to $41.68.

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) shares were up 1.2% at $75.27. The stock has a 52-week range of $72.93 to $91.80 and a consensus price target of $86.13.

Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) shares were relatively flat at $112.30, with a consensus price target of $121.93 and a 52-week range of $109.67 to $136.21.

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Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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