Investors this week turned to companies that make recession-proof stuff like cereal and soup, as fears of a potential economic recession mounted. The S & P 500 is down more than 5% for the week, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped into bear market territory on Friday, as traders grew worried that an aggressive rate hiking campaign from the Federal Reserve will push the economy into recession. Energy, consumer discretionary and real estate were among the biggest underperformers, last down about 8.6%, 6.9% and 6.2%, respectively. However, one sector in the S & P 500 weathered the decline better than others: consumer staples. The sector managed to outperform this week, down 2%, as investors leaned into the defensive play. Here are the seven best-performing stocks this week. General Mills was the top performing stock this week. Shares are up 6.8% this week after the food company reported an earnings beat and raised its full-year sales outlook, citing a boost from higher prices and strong demand for cereal, snacks and pet food. On Thursday, the stock traded at an all-time high dating back to 1927. Still, only one out of 10 analysts on Wall Street have a buy rating on the stock, and it has 4.2% downside to its price target, according to consensus estimates on FactSet. Hershey advanced 1.7% this week and is forecasted to have roughly 5% upside to its price target, according to FactSet. Still, there is no consensus on the stock, as just 36.4% of analysts have buy ratings. Campbell Soup was the third best-performing stock this week, up 2.8%. Still, the food company is recommended by just 5.3% of analysts on FactSet, and is expected to have 2.2% downside to its price target. Other stocks in this list include Kellogg , Hormel and Conagra Brands .
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