2 Safe Stocks to Buy in Times of Uncertainty
Key Points
Finding reliable companies comes down to observing how people spend their money and their time.
Walmart offers affordable products in more than 10,000 locations, and consumers hoping to save will turn to the retail giant.
Alphabet owns the two most popular websites on the planet, and its Google Cloud continues to post impressive growth rates.
- 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet ›
Uncertain times cause investors to panic and question investments that they don't know much about. Momentum stocks usually get crushed during these cycles. But allocating capital to reliable winners that will stay around for many years can help you ride through the turbulence.
While some companies capitalize on short-term trends, others have been around for decades. These companies have deeply integrated themselves into how people consume and behave, giving them a lot of staying power. The two stocks below are some of your most reliable options in times of uncertainty.
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People will flock to Walmart for lower prices
Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) has been in business since 1962. It has also become a Dividend King, a company that has raised its dividend for more than 50 consecutive years.
The global retailer has more than 10,000 locations. When a Walmart is established in a location, it quickly becomes a top shopping destination. This scale helps the company negotiate significant bulk-order discounts, giving it a consistent pricing advantage over rivals.
During economic slowdowns, consumers often become more price-sensitive, which can spark more foot traffic in Walmart locations. The company is also expanding its online advertising segment, which could translate into higher profit margins if adoption continues to grow.
Image source: Getty Images.
Alphabet controls the search market and leads in other key industries
Economic uncertainty won't change the fact that people regularly use the internet to find new information. That makes Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) a relatively safe investment during uncertain times, since its subsidiary Google has an overwhelming position in the search engine industry; Google Search is the most-visited site on the internet.
Not only is Google the top search engine by a wide margin, but Google Gemini is solidifying its gains in the artificial intelligence (AI) market. Gemini has more than 750 million monthly active users, and monthly subscription plans can turn that segment into a major revenue driver in the future.
Google also owns YouTube, which is the second most popular website. People won't stop viewing videos during an economic downturn, and that same scenario could increase how many people watch videos.
Though advertising may wane a bit in a prolonged economic slowdown, Alphabet continues to win attention online, which may position the company to recover more quickly when the economy rebounds.
The tech giant is also a leader in cloud computing, a high-growth industry that has been gaining momentum thanks to AI. Google Cloud is a profitable engine that powers many websites and AI apps, making it an essential expense for many businesses.
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Marc Guberti has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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