GOLDMAN SACHS: Hide out in these 15 stocks that are staying strong as coronavirus tanks global markets

• David Kostin of Goldman Sachs is telling investors to focus on companies with big proportions of US sales as fears about the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus send stocks plunging.
• Kostin says those companies will benefit from the strength of the US economy compared to the rest of the world.
• He's formed a list of stocks with high US sales exposure and strong performance so far in 2020.
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According to Goldman Sachs, the smartest way to handle the growing market slump is to just stay home. That's the advice of investors bidding up Netflix shares and looking at food delivery and gaming stocks.

Goldman's chief US equity strategist David Kostin means something slightly different. He says highly US-focused companies are the smart bet for investors who are seeking protection today.

"Global economic growth is slowing but the US is better positioned than other regions," he wrote in a note to clients. "Firms with high US sales will outperform companies with high foreign sales."

He continued: "The reasons are familiar, as he cites low US unemployment, high consumer confidence, growing wages, and reduced household debt levels."

This chart shows the trend already in place, with more internationally-focused stocks falling behind their US-focused peers as the outbreak has played out - and stocks with greater sales exposure to China suffering bigger losses.

The spreading COVID-19 epidemic knocked the S&P 500 into a shockingly fast correction - or drop of more than 10% - after it set a record high as recently as February 19. That reflects the economic questions that have arisen as the epidemic has spread. As of Thursday, more than 82,000 people have been infected and 2,800 have died.

While Kostin thinks the epidemic will wipe out profit growth for S&P 500 companies this year, he says companies that make the bulk of their sales in the US will be relatively safe from that damage. He adds that because of the strength of the US economy, those companies have faster estimated sales growth.

Here are 15 stocks that fit Kostin's criteria because they make an overwhelming majority of their sales domestically. Many are entirely US-based. They've each outperformed the market as of Wednesday's closing price as well, and they're ranked from lowest to highest based on the stocks' performance so far this year.