But the Dow Jones industrial average's brief drop into bear market territory Thursday is prompting fears of a recession that could make those producers of basic goods more attractive to investors. While consumers hold off buying expensive new products in tough economic times, there are certain things they can't do without.
Investors typically seek havens in bonds and money market funds when the stock markets dive.
But it's difficult to determine when to get out of those more stable investments and put the money back into the stock market, said Charles Trzcinka, a finance professor at Indiana University. That's why some market players like to put their money into companies they know will produce profits whether the economy is good or bad. Just because the stock market is down, it doesn't mean you don't need houses to live in and food to eat and clothing to wear. Investing in individual companies is risky, and there are always exceptions. N.Y. The trusts, which own real estate, are designed to generate regular income through dividends.