Invesco (RSPS) vs. First Trust (FTXG): Which Consumer Staples ETF Is the Better Buy?

The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEMKT:RSPS) and the First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF(NASDAQ:FTXG) differ most in cost, portfolio focus, and recent performance -- with RSPS charging lower fees, maintaining a tighter sector tilt, and outpacing FTXG over the past year.

Both RSPS and FTXG target the U.S. consumer staples space, but with distinct approaches. RSPS takes an equal-weighted slice of the S&P 500’s consumer staples sector, while FTXG tracks a smart-beta index focused on food and beverage companies, allowing for a bit more sector variety. Here’s how the two ETFs stack up for investors considering a focused consumer defensive allocation.

Snapshot (cost & size)

Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-year return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

RSPS is more affordable with a 0.40% expense ratio, compared to FTXG’s 0.60%. FTXG edges out RSPS on dividend yield, but the difference is marginal for income-focused investors. Meanwhile, both funds have below-market betas, with RSPS at 0.61 and FTXG at 0.52.

Performance & risk comparison

What's inside

FTXG seeks to mirror the Nasdaq U.S. Smart Food & Beverage Index, resulting in a portfolio that is 91% consumer defensive, with modest allocations to basic materials (7%) and industrials (2%). With 31 holdings and a fund age of 9 years, its top positions include PepsiCo, Archer-Daniels-Midland, and Mondelez, all household names in packaged food and beverages. This approach introduces a slight sector tilt outside pure consumer staples, potentially adding diversification.

RSPS, on the other hand, is entirely consumer defensive, with 37 equally weighted holdings, including The Hershey Company, Bunge Global, and Colgate-Palmolive. The fund’s strict adherence to S&P 500 consumer staples names and quarterly rebalancing keeps its sector focus tight and predictable, appealing to those seeking pure-play exposure without basic materials or industrials in the mix.

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What this means for investors

Over the last decade, RSPS has delivered annualized total returns of 5.7%, versus FTXG’s 3.7%. Both of these figures are minute compared to the S&P 500’s annual returns of 15.1%, as the market continues to pile into mega-cap technology names and high-flying growth stocks, leaving staples behind. That said, so far in 2026, RSPS is up 12% and FTXG is up 11%, while the S&P 500 is up 2%, as the market has begun rotating back into these “safe” staples.

It’ll be interesting to see whether this trend continues throughout 2026 or if the AI and data center boom returns in full force at some point. If you believe these consumer staples are the better choice right now, I’d argue that RSPS is the better option for you. Not only have its short- and long-term results been better, but its max drawdown and expense ratio are lower. Furthermore, I like that RSPS goes beyond the food and beverage industry, as many of the top dogs in this niche are being disrupted by GLP-1 threats and by consumers seeking healthier foods, which many legacy players are still playing catch-up to provide.

Another strike against FTXG is that its top five positions account for 42% of its portfolio, whereas RSPS’s only accounts for 15%. Ultimately, I’d rather individually pick and choose among my favorite staples to add some safety to my portfolio, but I think RSPS is the clear choice between these two ETFs if I had to pick one for the long haul.

Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Hershey. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Colgate-Palmolive and Hershey. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.