Despite a moderate recovery in the U.S. economy, investors are skeptical due to global growth worries that have been haunting the markets lately. The Chinese central bank’s sudden move to cut interest rate and devalue its currency in August to prop up growth not only failed to calm investors, but worsened the economic picture worldwide.

Investors’ fears were heightened after the continual stock market losses in the last week of August. This global turmoil has also impacted the otherwise resilient U.S. markets and also the Asian and European markets. The major U.S. indexes – S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average – are currently yielding negative year-to-date returns in the range of 3%–5%.

The softened economic data validates the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged. Investors now anticipate further delay in a rate hike due to disappointing job figures last week along with low inflation in the U.S.

As we step into the third quarter, we expect to see more things to unnerve investors. While China issues will lead the market turmoil across the globe, a persistent weakness in the energy sector and strengthening dollar will add to existing concerns.

We also note that the consumer spending pattern is changing and consumers are not willing to spend despite benefiting from lower fuel prices and higher wages. While some are busy boosting their savings, some are burdened with higher health care costs and still-tightened credit availability.

In fact, there are many consumer staple stocks, which are still suffering from continued pressure in the face of limited consumer spending, foreign exchange headwinds and declining unit volumes. Other global issues including potential price wars, a competitive environment, political turmoil in Russia, sluggishness in Japan, and struggle in Europe continue to hinder the financial health of companies.

Needless to say, the equity markets have become extremely volatile and the overall economic picture is quite weak.

In such a scenario, investors need to hunt for those consumer staple stocks that will hold steady when the broader market is volatile.

The Investing Way

With the help of our new style score system, we have shortlisted five stocks that have excellent prospects and hold immense growth potential. Our Growth Style Score condenses all the essential metrics from a company’s financial statements to get a true sense of the quality and sustainability of its growth. Our research shows that stocks with Growth Style Scores of ‘A’ or ‘B’ when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) offer the best investment opportunities in the growth investing space.

All the stocks selected herein flaunt a Zacks Rank of #1 or 2 and have a Growth Style Score of ‘A’ and certainly have bright prospects to ride out the impending volatility.

The 5 Picks

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM - Snapshot Report)

Based in Jackson, MS, Cal-Maine Foods is the one of the largest producers and distributors of fresh shell eggs in the United States. This Zacks Rank #1 company believes that strong performance of its specialty eggs are driving growth, given favorable consumer demand trends. The company is making appropriate investments to expand its production capabilities for specialty eggs and enhance its product mix.

Cal-Maine has a growth score of A and a long-term EPS growth rate of 9%.

Dean Foods Company (DF - Analyst Report)

Dallas, TX-based Dean Foods Company carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has a Growth Score of A. The company processes and distributes milk, and other dairy and dairy case products in the United States.

The company’s operating results have shown improvement for the last three quarters, primarily due to price realization, and solid execution in an easing commodity environment. The company has posted an average surprise of 31.26% over the last four quarters and targets a long-term EPS growth rate of 10%.

Primo Water Corporation (PRMW - Snapshot Report)

Winston-Salem, NC-based Primo Water Corporation operates as a provider of three- and five-gallon purified bottled water and water dispensers sold through major retailers nationwide. The company holds a Zacks Rank #2 and has a growth score of A.

The company has delivered an average positive surprise of 72.92% over the past four straight quarters and has a long-term EPS growth rate of 15%.

Currently, Primo Water is believed to be one of the better long-term growth investments on the market, as the water market is booming. Consumers have been substituting sugary drinks for less-sugary, healthier alternatives like water.

Post Holdings, Inc. (POST - Snapshot Report)

We also recommend Post Holdings, a leading producer and seller of refrigerated, active nutrition, and private label food products in North America. The St. Louis, MO-based company has delivered an average positive surprise of 261.28% in the trailing four quarters. It is expected to witness earnings growth of 241.3% in fiscal 2015 and 121.6% in fiscal 2016.

This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a long-term earnings growth rate of 7%.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN - Analyst Report)

Springdale, AR-based Tyson Foods is the world's largest fully-integrated producer, processor and marketer of chicken and poultry-based food products. Tyson offers a wide array of meat products and enhances its portfolio through innovation and acquisitions. Its sales boosting initiatives and strong international presence are also appealing.

The company has delivered average positive earnings surprise of 1.72% in three out of the four trailing quarters. It is expected to witness earnings growth of 8.8% in fiscal 2015 and 21.1% in fiscal 2016.

With a growth score of A and an attractive Zacks Rank #2, this stock is a hot pick for investors.

Bottom Line

Intelligently selecting stocks for investments greatly benefits investors. The above-mentioned stocks can prove to be valuable additions to an investors’ portfolio.

You can use the Zacks Stock Screener to find other stocks with this winning combination. Investors can confidently end their search at stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank of either #1 or #2, which encompasses its strong fundamentals, promises price movement and highlights analysts’ constructive view on the same via positive estimate revisions. A sturdy portfolio always gives favorable returns.