Winn-Dixie Stores shares drop 9% at midday after it cuts its profit outlook, punctuating its status as the supermarket stock investors have not favored in the grocery rally this month.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Last October, when the stock market was in freefall, lots of investors fled to the relative safety of grocery chains. The nation might be in a recession, but everyone needs to eat, right?

Retail stocks head lower Tuesday after September housing starts miss economists’ estimates.

Supervalu, one of the largest U.S. supermarket chains, says quarterly profit fell 42% from a year earlier as it struggled to gain traction with shoppers.

Among the companies' shares expected to see active trade in Tuesday’s session are those of Pfizer, Coca-Cola and Yahoo.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Benchmark Journal.