Launched on October 21, 2013, the Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA Quick QuoteFSTA - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market.

Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.

Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particular sectors that offer low risk and diversified exposure. Consumer Staples - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 15, placing it in bottom 6%.

Index Details

The fund is sponsored by Fidelity. It has amassed assets over $1.33 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Consumer Staples - Broad segment of the equity market. FSTA seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples Index before fees and expenses.

The MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples Index represents the performance of the consumer staples sector in the U.S. equity market.

Costs

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it the least expensive product in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.23%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Staples sector -- about 100% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Walmart Inc Common Stock Usd.1 (WMT) accounts for about 14.35% of total assets, followed by Costco Wholesale Corp Common Stock Usd.005 (COST) and Procter + Gamble Co/the Common Stock (PG).

The top 10 holdings account for about 65.94% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 3.6% and is down about 1.09% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 12/01/2025), respectively. FSTA has traded between $47.94 and $52.85 during this last 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.56 and standard deviation of 11.56% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, FSTA is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Consumer Staples ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.

Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) tracks Consumer Staples Select Sector Index. Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF has $7.32 billion in assets, Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF has $15.28 billion. VDC has an expense ratio of 0.09%, and XLP charges 0.08%.

Bottom Line

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