Investment During Recession: Is it Safe? Here’s What You Need to Know

When the market is booming, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that what goes up comes down too. Economic slowdowns are cyclical and this suggests that another recession is likely to happen in the future. A recession could be imminent or yet some time away—whatever the case, it’s always prudent to be prepared. Therefore, learning about investment during a recession becomes crucial. Let’s take a look at how we can save ourselves and our wealth during an economic downturn. 

What to Buy Before a Recession

Core Sector Stocks

Consider investing in healthcare, utilities, or consumer goods. Regardless of the health of the economy, people will continue to spend money on medical care, home products, power, and food.

Reliable Dividend Stocks

When analyzing dividend stocks, some experts recommend looking for firms with low debt-to-equity (DE) ratios and robust balance sheets.

Real Estate

When a recession occurs and property value falls, it can be a good time to acquire investment properties.

Make Precious Metal Investments

Precious metals such as gold and silver tend to fare well during market downturns. Demand for these items rises during recessions, and their prices normally rise as well.

Sectors That Tend to Perform Well During Recessions

It is safe to say that no sector is recessionproof, but some do manage to hold their ground when compared to others during turbulent times. These 10 sectors are those in which investment during a recession won’t hurt you: 

• Communication services
• Consumer goods
• Energy
• Financials
• Healthcare services
• IT
• Materials
• Real estate
• Utilities

Types of Stocks with the Biggest Recession Risk

Investment during a recession can be tricky. Understanding what assets to avoid investing in may be just as crucial as knowing which firms to invest in. 

1. Highly Leveraged Companies

Most investors would be wise to avoid highly leveraged corporations with massive debt loads on their balance sheets during a recession. Companies like these are frequently burdened by higher-than-average interest payments, which result in an unsustainable DE ratio. 

2. Cyclical Stocks

Cyclical stocks are often linked to employment and consumer confidence, both of which suffer during a recession. Cyclical stocks often do well during boom periods when customers have more disposable cash to spend on non-essential or luxury items. Companies that produce high-end automobiles, furniture, or apparel are examples of cyclical stocks. 

3. Speculative Stocks

Speculative stocks are highly priced because of investor confidence. During a recession, these high-risk equities decline the fastest as investors withdraw their money from the market and flock to other assets that restrict their exposure during market instability.

4 Places to Invest in During a Recession

Making an investment during a recession is a clever way to get high returns. The investments mentioned below do exactly that over a period of time:

1. Stock Funds

During a recession, a stock fund, whether it be an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or a mutual fund, is an excellent method of investment. A fund is less volatile than a portfolio of a few firms, and investors bet less on any particular stock and more on the economy’s recovery and an increase in market sentiment. 

2. Dividend Stocks

If you want a less volatile portfolio, consider adding some dividend stocks. High-quality dividend stocks tend to vary less than other types of stocks (for example, growth stocks), which means your portfolio will move less. They also provide a cash dividend to guarantee you have some income as you wait for the market to change.

3. Real Estate

Real estate is an appealing investment avenue during a recession, you can purchase properties at a lower price than their actual rate. When the economy improves and people have more disposable income, the value of your property rises. 

4. High-Yield Savings Account

Cash may be an excellent short-term investment because many recessions don’t last over a long period. You have a lot of possibilities with cash. You can spend it if you need to, such as if you lose your job during a recession. It allows you to make an opportunistic investment if the stock market unexpectedly drops or if you subsequently locate the ideal property.

How to Invest During a Recession

Invest in Defensive Stocks

A defensive stock is one that pays steady dividends and has stable profits regardless of the general situation of the stock market. Defensive stocks can help preserve your portfolio during a recession.

Make Use of Dollar-Cost Averaging

Dollar-cost averaging is a method of investing in which you buy a certain quantity of an investment on a regular basis, regardless of the current price.

Invest in High-Quality Assets During a Recession

To preserve a portfolio during a downturn, investors should look for quality assets like real estate, gold bonds, etc.

Avoid Growth Stocks

Value equities frequently succeed in “ordinary” recessions due to low valuations and sectors with strong enterprises; growth stocks generate their own growth and do well in recessions.

Is it Safe to Invest During a Recession?

Stock prices frequently fall during a recession. In principle, this is terrible news for an existing portfolio, but not selling means not locking in recession-related losses. Investment during a recession can be advantageous but only under the following circumstances:

a. You Have a Sizable Emergency Fund

Always try to have three to six months’ worth of living costs in the bank—the latter range being preferable. If you have that goal met and have spare money, you are welcome to invest it. If not, make a substantial emergency fund first.

b. You Don’t Intend to Touch Your Portfolio for a Few Years

Investing in a downturn is not for the faint-hearted. The simplest method to prevent losses in a recession—and come out ahead—is to invest for the long term. Make a commitment to let your money stay untouched for at least seven years.

c. You Don’t Plan to Scrutinize Your Portfolio Compulsively

When the economy is in poor health and the stock market is volatile, you could find yourself checking your brokerage account every day to see how your portfolio is doing. However, if you want to invest during a recession, you should definitely not do that. If you do, you run the danger of making impulsive decisions, such as selling underperforming investments, which forces you to lock in losses.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which Assets Will Perform the Best in a Recession?

Assets like cash, large-cap stocks (food, personal care, healthcare, utilities), and gold are considered to be recessionproof.

2. Stocks That Often do Well During Recessions.

Stocks like Walmart Inc., McDonald’s Corp., Procter & Gamble Co., and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) are a few examples of stocks that do well during recessions.

3. Does Investment Rise During a Recession?

Investing during a recession may provide a fantastic opportunity to generate wealth if certain conditions are met. However, it may not be the best option for everyone.

4. Where is the Safest Place to Put Your Money During a Recession?

During economic downturns, investing in bonds, dividend-paying companies, and diversifying your portfolio are all wise decisions. So, if you believe a recession is on the way, consider investing your money in these secure assets to weather the storm.

If you are in it for the long run, an approaching recession should not frighten you. Be sure to avoid certain investments during that period. However, the main goal should be selling your investments when the market is up. To understand how to make an investment during a recession, check out the wide range of online courses on finance that Emeritus has to offer, and invest wisely!

By Siddhesh Shinde

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