Kraft Heinz Company (The)

Sector: Consumer Defensive

Industry: Packaged Foods

In July 2015, Kraft merged with Heinz to create the third-largest food and beverage manufacturer in North America behind wide-moats PepsiCo and Nestle and the fifth-largest player in the world. Beyond its namesake brands, the combined firm's portfolio includes Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, and Philadelphia. While the retail channel drives around 85% of its total sales, the firm also operates a growing presence in the foodservice arena. Outside North America, Kraft Heinz's global reach counts a distribution network in Europe and emerging markets that drives about 25% of its consolidated sales base, as its products are sold in more than 190 countries and territories.