What's in a Big Name?

Consumer goods stocks are great because of their familiarity. But the top consumer goods stock, according to a consensus of more than 26,000 investors in Motley Fool CAPS, is a Latin American beverage and convenience store powerhouse that most people probably have never heard of.

Mexican-based Fomento Economico (NYSE:FMX) currently has more support from our pool of investors than more well-known names like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Altria. In fact, none of those U.S. giants even crack the CAPS consumer goods top 10.

Here are the companies that make up the rest of the list.

Of course, none of these stocks should be considered as formal recommendations. Instead, think of them as candidates for further Foolish due diligence. When thousands upon thousands of Fools are so enthused about these companies, I'd say they're at least worth a closer look.

Common cents
As you can see, the rest of the list isn't exactly comprised of household names, either. Genlyte Group? American Dairy? Gildan Activewear? As is often the case, our CAPS community favors relatively smaller, lesser-known stocks over the mega-cap behemoths that Wall Street loves to pick over. Eight of the 10 stocks have market caps of less than $4 billion.

It's also interesting to note that each of the companies has positive earnings, translating into double-digit returns on equity. Additionally, the vast majority of them are expected to grow earnings in the 15%-40% range over the next five years.

In other words, not only does our CAPS community favor obscure, ignored, and boring consumer goods stocks, but it wants them to be profitable, growing, and reasonably priced. Now that's what I call collective Foolish wisdom.

The Foolish final word
There you have it, Fools. Got an opinion on any of these consumer goods stocks? How about some others that should have made the list? To have your investment voice heard out loud, log in to Motley Fool CAPS today. It's absolutely free.

Make seven picks on CAPS by April 24 and we'll send you a free copy of The Motley Fool Five Star Report. Inside, you'll discover how to use CAPS as a research tool, and you will receive a recommended five-star CAPS pick poised to beat the market for the next decade or more -- one that you can easily translate into profits for your real-world portfolio.  But please hurry -- this special report will be emailed on Tuesday, April 24, and it's only being sent to CAPS members who have their seven picks in.

Sadia is a Motley Fool Hidden Gems recommendation.

Foolish contributor Brian Pacampara owns no position in any of the companies mentioned. The Fool's disclosure policy always rises to the top.