The economy isn't recession-proof. It often follows a fairly predictable, if irregular, pattern known as the economic cycle. Periods of expansion can last for years before hitting a peak. What follows is a period of contraction -- a recession -- before the economy enters a trough ahead of the next expansion.
Recessionary periods can be brutal for investors. Stock market corrections and bear markets commonly occur during the contraction phase. Cyclical stocks -- companies in industries highly sensitive to the economic cycle -- are often the hardest hit during a recession.
However, some stock market sectors are more immune to the changes in the economic cycle. They offer investors somewhat recession-proof stocks to hold when economic turbulence arises. In fact, many companies in these sectors have increased their dividends every year for the past few decades, which included several notable recessions.
Here's a closer look at where to invest if you're worried that the economy is about to hit a rough patch.
Historically recession-proof industries
Several industries tend to experience relatively steady demand in both good times and bad, making them fairly recession-resistant (although no industry can be accurately labeled 100% "recession-proof"). These industries include:
Healthcare
Healthcare stocks tend to be relatively recession-resistant since people can't defer most healthcare spending. Some companies in the healthcare industry that tend to do well in recessions are:
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ -1.59%): The iconic healthcare company develops and sells medical devices and pharmaceuticals. These products benefit from stable demand throughout the economic cycle. Johnson & Johnson has an unbroken streak of 63 consecutive annual dividend increases, keeping it in the elite group of Dividend Kings.
- CVS Health (CVS +1.49%): This health company operates a leading drugstore chain, administers a large-scale pharmacy benefits program, and provides health insurance to many people. Demand for its services remains relatively stable even when the economy falters.
- Pfizer (PFE +0.37%): Together with its partners, Pfizer makes some of the world's best-selling pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines, covering a wide range of medical issues. People need access to these lifesaving products, no matter what's happening in the economy.
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH -2.60%): The diversified healthcare company offers a broad array of products and services, including information and technology-enabled health services, healthcare coverage, and benefit services people need during economic downturns.
- Medtronic (MDT +0.14%): The medical device maker tends to produce relatively steady growth. That has certainly been the case with its dividend, which has risen for 48 straight years.
Consumer staples
People need to eat even when the economy hits a rough patch. However, consumers tend to shift from dining at restaurants to preparing more food at home. Grocery stores and packaged food makers tend to be highly recession-resistant. Household and personal products also tend to experience stable demand in recessions.
Some recession-resistant companies that manufacture or sell consumer staples are:
- Kroger (KR -4.11%): Grocery stores such as Kroger, one of the country's largest supermarkets by revenue, tend to benefit from recessions as consumers cook more often at home.
- PepsiCo (PEP -0.63%): Pepsi makes several well-known brands (e.g., Pepsi, Quaker Oats, and Aquafina) that line grocery store shelves. PepsiCo's sales tend to remain relatively stable during difficult times. The company extended its dividend growth streak to 53 straight years in 2025.
- Procter & Gamble (PG -0.94%): The household and personal products company sells familiar brands, such as Pampers, Dawn, and Tide, that remain in demand during recessions. It delivered its 69th consecutive annual dividend increase in 2025.
- General Mills (GIS -0.82%): The leading maker of packaged food products owns beloved brands such as Cheerios, Pillsbury, and Betty Crocker. Demand for its products tends to pick up when people shift their food spending away from restaurants.
- Kenvue (KVUE +0.06%): The former Johnson & Johnson subsidiary is one of the world leaders in consumer healthcare products. The company sells iconic brands, including Listerine, Tylenol, and Band-Aid, which tend to see relatively steady demand during recessions.
Utility companies
Even when businesses close and people lose their jobs during recessions, demand for electricity, water, waste collection, and natural gas remains relatively stable. Utilities and utility-like companies generate reasonably consistent earnings throughout recessions. Some examples of utility-type companies include:
- American Water Works (AWK -1.95%): The nation's leading water and wastewater utility company produces steady earnings supported by government-regulated rates. As a result, it tends to generate very stable revenue.
- Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC +0.17%)(BIP -1.43%): The globally diversified infrastructure company owns utilities, pipelines, power lines, data centers, cell towers, and a range of other infrastructure assets. Its businesses generate contractually secured or government-regulated cash flows that remain stable during a recession.
- NextEra Energy (NEE -2.39%): The company owns a large, Florida-focused electric utility and a leading energy resources business that produces renewable energy, transports natural gas, and provides electricity. Its businesses generate stable revenues secured by government-regulated rates and long-term, fixed-rate contracts. The utility has increased its dividend for 31 straight years.
- Williams (WMB +3.15%): The natural gas infrastructure giant operates critical pipelines that move gas and other energy commodities from production basins to market centers. Williams' assets generate stable cash flows backed by long-term contracts or government-regulated rates.
- WM (WM -1.19%): This waste collection and recycling company generally has steady revenue streams since the demand for its services doesn't diminish much in recessions.
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Diversified portfolios better withstand recessions
Recessions are inevitable, so investors should construct truly diversified portfolios to weather downturns by investing in companies across multiple sectors, including recession-resistant ones.
A diversified portfolio should include a mix of financially strong blue chip stocks that can withstand a recession. These are attractive because they typically pay dividends, providing investors with a tangible return in the form of income.
Blue chip stocks in recession-resistant industries tend to be especially stable, which can help lessen the blow of a market sell-off from a recession.
Related investing topics
Add some recession-proof businesses to your portfolio
The hottest stocks in recent years have been in the technology and communications industries. Many investors found it easy to build a portfolio that skewed toward these growth-focused sectors by buying stocks related to megatrends such as:
Unfortunately, these sectors are not immune to a recession. An economic slowdown could cause businesses to reduce capital spending, which might cause them to cut back on expensive upgrades to 5G or cloud computing.
Companies also tend to pull back on advertising during recessions, hurting ad-driven sectors such as social media and some streaming services. And consumers tend to eliminate extra costs during recessions, which can affect streaming services and other entertainment options.
That's why it's important to diversify your portfolio to better withstand a recession by adding some defensive or countercyclical stocks in the industries detailed above. Doing so can help your portfolio blunt some of the potential negative impacts of a recession.
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