Story by Mark Hartley

Low angle close up color image depicting a man holding a shopping trolley filled with essential fresh groceries in the supermarket.

Global markets are wobbling again, so UK investors looking for stocks to buy need to pay close attention to their options.

Rather than showing signs of resolution, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East seem to be more uncertain than ever.

Oil prices are swinging wildly as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz increase, leading to growing uncertainty among market analysts.

As these issues drag on, more and more investors are asking: is the stock market heading for a crash?

How to prepare for a stock market downturn

This year, the Dow Jones has flip-flopped between 45,000 and 50,000, while the S&P 500 dipped to 6,340 before surging past 7,500. Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 nearly cracked 11,000 points before briefly falling back below 10,000.

When I see sharp index moves like that, I think less about predicting the next crash and more about making my portfolio resistant to risk.

A few simple actions can help:

  • Keep some money in cash.
  • Trim higher-risk positions.
  • Tilt a little more towards defensive shares.

That does not mean hiding from the market. It means being ready if sentiment turns and investors start moving into bonds and other lower-risk assets, which can feed a broader correction.

What, then, counts as a defensive share?

The advantage of defensive shares

Defensive shares are businesses that tend to hold up better when the economy slows. They often have resilient earnings, dependable dividends, and exposure to sectors with steady demand, like utilities and healthcare.

Many also sell globally, which can smooth out weakness in any single market.