FSTA: FIDELITY MSCI CONSUMER STAPLES INDEX ETF
What this ETF is trying to do
The FIDELITY MSCI CONSUMER STAPLES INDEX ETF (FSTA) is designed to track a specific group of companies. These are known as "consumer staples" companies. These are businesses that sell things people usually need every day, like food, drinks, and household items.
What the numbers show
As of September 18, 2026, the current price of one share is $51.85. An estimated price from roughly one year ago was $50.75.
When looking at how this ETF has performed, it is important to understand two different types of returns:
• Price Return: This only measures how much the share price itself has changed.
• Total Return: This includes both the change in share price and any cash distributions (dividends) paid out to investors.
Here is what the data shows:
• Year-to-Date (YTD): The price return is approximately 5.41%, while the total return is approximately 7.20%.
• One-Year: The price return is approximately 2.17%, and the total return is approximately 5.11%.
• Three-Year: The price return is approximately 17.07%, and the total return is approximately 25.68%.
Income and distribution explanation
Some investors look for ETFs that pay them cash regularly. This is called a "distribution yield." For FSTA, the distribution yield is approximately 2.81%. These payments are usually made every three months (quarterly), though the fund paid out five times over the last 12 months.
It is important to remember that receiving cash distributions does not guarantee that your original investment will stay the same value. A high yield alone can sometimes be misleading if the share price is falling.
NAV erosion explanation
"NAV erosion" refers to whether the actual value of the assets inside the ETF is shrinking over time. If an ETF has high NAV erosion, it means the underlying value is dropping.
For this ETF, the erosion-risk score is 94, which is labeled as "Stable / sideways." The severity is rated as "good," and there is no severe erosion-risk flag. This suggests the fund's internal value has been relatively steady.
Pros
• Positive Returns: The data shows positive returns for both price and total return over one, three, and five-year periods.
• Stability: The erosion-risk score indicates a stable trend.
• Top Holdings: The ETF is invested in well-known companies. Its Top Holdings include:
• Walmart Inc (13.33%)
• Costco Wholesale Corp (11.98%)
• Coca-Cola Co (9.62%)
• Procter & Gamble Co (9.42%)
• Philip Morris International Inc (4.52%)
• PepsiCo Inc (4.51%)
• Altria Group Inc (3.74%)
• Mondelez International Inc Class A (2.65%)
• Target Corp (2.45%)
• Colgate-Palmolive Co (2.29%)
Cons
• Moderate Yield: The distribution yield of 2.81% may not be considered high for investors specifically looking for large amounts of cash income.
Beginner takeaway
FSTA tracks companies that sell everyday essentials. The data shows that the fund has grown in both share price and total value over several years. It currently shows a stable erosion-risk score, meaning its internal value has been steady rather than shrinking significantly.
Top Holdings
Structured portfolio holdings supplied by the ETF data provider. These figures are not generated by the AI article.
| # | Holding | Ticker | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WALMART INC | WMT | 13.33% |
| 2 | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP | COST | 11.98% |
| 3 | COCA-COLA CO | KO | 9.62% |
| 4 | PROCTER & GAMBLE CO | PG | 9.42% |
| 5 | PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INC | PM | 4.52% |
| 6 | PEPSICO INC | PEP | 4.51% |
| 7 | ALTRIA GROUP INC | MO | 3.74% |
| 8 | MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC CLASS A | MDLZ | 2.65% |
| 9 | TARGET CORP | TGT | 2.45% |
| 10 | COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO | CL | 2.29% |