As leaders trickled into the European Union's boxy headquarters, Ms. Merkel faced a challenge to placate the euro zone's south, which thought private-sector involvement was dangerous, and its north, which thought it didn't go far enough.

WSJ: European Disunion: Dithering at the Top Turned EU Crisis to Global Threat

The consumer staples sector has only 3% of its value invested in dangerous-or-worse-rated stocks and 73% of its value invested in attractive-or-better-rated stocks.

FORBES: Good, Bad And Ugly Consumer Staples ETFs