5 Consumer stocks we love

Sure, consumers are watching what they spend in this weak economy. But some retailers, restaurants and consumer goods makers are holding up well and are great long-term investments.

•  More stocks we love

In America, the consumer is king. Economists know it. Businesses know it. The lawmakers who voted for the stimulus plan know it. But since many investors shy away from consumer stocks in a weak economy, some consumer companies that are still doing well are being unfairly punished.

Consumers, faced with higher food and gas prices, are paying more attention to what they spend. But there are some retailers and consumer goods producers that should weather the current economic downturn and prove to be solid investments for the longer term.

How did we find them? We screened for consumer staples and consumer discretionary companies that are expected to report earnings growth of at least 10% this year and over the next few years.

But we also made sure that sales would increase by at least 10% this year. That way, we're identifying companies where profit growth is driven by actual consumer spending and not just cost-cutting. Finally, each trades for less than 20 times earnings estimates for the next four quarters. So all of these stocks are in Wall Street's bargain bin.