At a glance
FSTA charges 0.08% a year, below the 0.4% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 2nd cheapest of 9). It has $1.42B in assets, the 3rd largest of that group; it paid 2.14% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +12.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 3rd of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +12.9% a year. At its worst it fell 24.9% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 16.6% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 5 months and 17 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 61.6% of the fund, out of 93 in all.
The short version
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA) tracks the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 Index of US companies that make or sell everyday goods such as food, drinks, tobacco and household products. Its 0.084% expense ratio is about a fifth of the 0.40% peer average and close to Vanguard's VDC, which holds nearly the same stocks. Walmart and Costco made up about a quarter of assets as of July 31, 2026.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
FSTA +12.3% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSTA official prospectus, to Nov 29, 2025 | — | +13.29% | — | +8.22% | +8.07% | — |
| IXWMX index, same period | — | +13.41% | — | +8.34% | +8.20% | — |
| S&P 001 index, same period | — | +25.02% | — | +14.53% | +13.10% | — |
| FSTA price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +14.1% | +12.3% | +12.9% | +7.6% | +8.5% | +8.9% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, FSTA returned +12.3%, 3rd of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +7.6% and its 10-year +8.5%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 24.9% and regained its old high 4.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2018 (-8.5%); its best was 2019 (+26.9%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 25.1% (Feb 14, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Aug 12, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +14.1% | — |
| 2025 | +1.8% | — |
| 2024 | +13.3% | +13.29% |
| 2023 | +2.3% | +2.29% |
| 2022 | -1.7% | -1.77% |
| 2021 | +17.4% | +17.51% |
| 2020 | +11.0% | +11.00% |
| 2019 | +26.9% | +26.73% |
| 2018 | -8.5% | -8.30% |
| 2017 | +12.7% | +12.51% |
| 2016 | +5.7% | +5.92% |
| 2015 | +5.8% | +5.65% |
| 2014 | +15.8% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 24.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 24.9%, back to its old high 4.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 11.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 16.6%, back to its old high 17 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.8800 | |
| 2025 | $1.1600 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $1.1100 | -6.7% |
| 2023 | $1.1900 | +17.8% |
| 2022 | $1.0100 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | $1.0000 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | $1.0100 | +8.6% |
| 2019 | $0.9300 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | $0.9200 | +10.8% |
| 2017 | $0.8300 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | $0.8000 | -7.0% |
| 2015 | $0.8600 | +30.3% |
| 2014 | $0.6600 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 93 securities; the ten largest made up 61.63% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart Inc | 13.47% | |
| Costco Wholesale Corp | 11.39% | |
| Coca-Cola Co | 8.48% | |
| Procter & Gamble Co | 8.46% | |
| Philip Morris International Inc | 4.54% | |
| PepsiCo Inc | 4.23% | |
| Altria Group Inc | 3.71% | |
| Mondelez International Inc | 2.65% | |
| Monster Beverage Corp | 2.36% | |
| Colgate-Palmolive Co | 2.33% | |
| Target Corp | 2.24% | |
| Sysco Corp | 1.47% | |
| Keurig Dr Pepper Inc | 1.44% | |
| Archer-Daniels-Midland Co | 1.37% | |
| Kenvue Inc | 1.35% |
By country
United States 98.59%Switzerland 0.6%Cayman Islands 0.3%Ireland 0.13%By asset type
Stocks 99.63%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 76.2% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jul 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $10.6M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -3.59%, +1.41%, +2.08%.
How it works
FSTA aims to match the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 Index, before fees. The index holds US companies placed in the consumer staples sector by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), a common system for sorting companies by industry. That means makers and distributors of food, drinks and tobacco, producers of household and personal products, and food and drug retailers, including big supercenters. "IMI" stands for investable market index, so it reaches past the giants into mid-size and smaller companies. Bigger companies carry more weight. The "25/50" rules cap how much the largest names can hold.
The fund uses "representative sampling." It buys a sample of stocks chosen to resemble the index in size, industry mix, yield and trading volume, so it may not own every index member. As of July 31, 2026, it held 93 stocks. The top ten made up 61.6% of assets, led by Walmart (13.5%), Costco (11.4%), Coca-Cola (8.5%) and Procter & Gamble (8.5%). The fund is legally "non-diversified," meaning a few companies can take up a large share of it. Portfolio turnover was 13%.
Starting December 11, 2025, derivatives can count toward the fund's rule of keeping at least 80% of assets in index securities. On July 31, 2026, it held two small futures contracts worth close to 0% of assets, plus 0.22% in cash. It uses no leverage or options strategy.
What it really costs
- FSTA charges 0.084% a year, versus an average of 0.4% for the similar funds below (2nd of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $9 in the first year and $108 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSTA | $9 | $27 | $47 | $108 |
In a retirement portfolio
FSTA owns companies selling everyday goods people keep buying in downturns, and it has usually swung less than the broad market, though it can still fall sharply.
FSTA could add a steadier slice of US stocks to a retirement portfolio, but steadier doesn't mean safe. In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 24.9% between February 21 and March 23, 2020, then got back to its peak by August 10, 2020, about 4.6 months later. The 2022 drop was smaller at 16.6%, but recovery took 17 months, until March 6, 2024. Anyone selling shares to cover spending during that stretch would have been selling below the old high for well over a year. Its worst calendar year was 2018, when it lost 8.3%. The fund launched in 2013, so it has no 2008 record. The trailing 12-month yield was 2.14% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. Costs are low at 0.084% a year. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Cost-conscious investors tracking US consumer staples: the 0.084% expense ratio (annual fee) ranked 2nd cheapest of 9 similar funds, versus a 0.4% average.
- Retirees wanting modest quarterly income: the trailing yield was 2.14% as of October 27, 2026, from holdings like Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble.
- Investors offsetting growth-heavy portfolios: its beta, a measure of sensitivity to the broad market, was -0.1 for the year to October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors wary of concentration: Walmart (13.5%) and Costco (11.4%) lead, and the top 10 holdings were 61.6% of assets as of July 31, 2026.
- Growth seekers: it averaged 8.07% a year over 10 years to November 29, 2025, versus 13.1% for the broad S&P index in its prospectus.
- Anyone treating staples as safe: it fell 25.1% in the 2020 COVID crash and needed 17 months to recover from its 2022 slide.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSTA this fund | — | 0.084% | $1.42B | +12.3% | +12.9% |
| VDC Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF | 98% | 0.09% | $9.25B | +12.2% | +13.0% |
| XLP Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund | 77% | 0.08% | $13.65B | +20.1% | +12.8% |
| IYK iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF | 59% | 0.4% | $1.42B | +13.3% | +11.2% |
| KXI iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF | 59% | 0.41% | $1.01B | +10.3% | +11.5% |
| RSPS Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Stapl… | 51% | 0.4% | $246.8M | +7.2% | +5.7% |
| PSL Invesco Dorsey Wright Consumer Staples Mome… | 34% | 0.6% | $84.7M | +4.5% | +13.8% |
| FTXG First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF | 32% | 0.6% | $23.4M | +6.0% | +3.1% |
Questions investors ask
What is FSTA's expense ratio?
FSTA's expense ratio is 0.084% a year, according to its prospectus filed November 24, 2025. In the SEC's standard example ($10,000 invested, a 5% annual return, shares sold at the end of each period), costs come to about $9 after one year, $47 after five years and $108 after ten. That makes it the second-cheapest of nine similar consumer staples funds, which average 0.40%. XLP charges 0.08% and VDC 0.09%.
FSTA vs VDC: what's the difference?
There's very little difference in what they own. Based on the latest N-PORT reports, 98% of their holdings overlap. FSTA charges 0.084% a year and Vanguard's VDC charges 0.09%. VDC is much bigger, with $9.25 billion in net assets as of August 31, 2026, against FSTA's $1.42 billion as of July 31, 2026. In the year through October 27, 2026, their returns were almost the same: 12.3% for FSTA and 12.2% for VDC.
Does FSTA pay dividends?
Yes. FSTA pays dividends every quarter. In the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $1.18 per share, a trailing yield of 2.14%. The money comes from dividends paid by the companies it owns, such as Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Philip Morris International, so payments can rise or fall. A trailing yield shows what was paid in the past, not what will be paid next.
What stocks are in FSTA?
As of July 31, 2026, FSTA held 93 stocks. Nearly all are US consumer staples companies. Walmart was the largest at 13.5%, then Costco at 11.4%, Coca-Cola at 8.5% and Procter & Gamble at 8.5%. Philip Morris International, PepsiCo, Altria, Mondelez, Monster Beverage and Colgate-Palmolive complete the top ten. Together, those ten made up 61.6% of the fund, so a few large retailers and brand owners drive most of its results.
Is FSTA good for retirement?
It depends on the job it has in a portfolio. FSTA may suit retirees who want a low-cost, steadier slice of stocks, but it can still fall hard. It dropped 25.1% from February 14 to March 23, 2020, and was back to its peak by August 12, 2020. Its 16.6% drop in 2022 took 17 months to recover. Over the 10 years to November 29, 2025, it returned 8.07% a year, behind the 13.1% for the broad index in its prospectus.