Many investors consider consumer staples companies as ideally suited to form a portion of the defensive core of their portfolios. And rightly so. Quality firms in this sector typically benefit from exposure to non-cyclical end-markets, as well as strong competitive positions derived mainly from scale, strong branding power, and privileged relationships with retailers. As a result, many of these franchises tend to generate stable profits and cash flows, earn good returns on investments, and be adequately capitalized. Moreover, their dividend profile is seen by many as fairly attractive, especially in a time when investors -