Handelsblatt outlines seven criteria for selecting crisis‑resistant stocks
Executive summary: Handelsblatt published an article describing seven criteria investors can use to spot stocks that tend to remain stable during market crises. The framework assists investors in navigating volatile markets by emphasizing quality companies with reliable earnings, dividends and modest leverage.
Who is involved: Handelsblatt’s editorial team produced the piece, targeting individual and institutional investors seeking lower‑volatility equity exposure.
Likely next: Investors may apply the checklist to screen their portfolios, potentially shifting capital toward defensive sectors such as utilities, consumer staples and healthcare.
The article explains that despite numerous crises, major indices remain near record highs, making stock selection challenging. It proposes seven criteria—steady revenue and profit growth, dividend payments, below‑average valuation and low debt—to help investors identify equities likely to hold up in downturns. By focusing on these fundamentals, the piece aims to guide investors toward more defensive equity allocations.
Timeline
- — Geldanlage: Buy and hold – Wie die richtige Aktienstrategie Anleger ruhig schlafen lässt (Handelsblatt)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- Investors may begin screening European blue‑chip stocks against the seven criteria by end of Q3 2026
- Fund managers could launch new quality‑focused equity funds referencing the Handelsblatt criteria
Sectors affected
- Utilities
- Consumer Staples
- Healthcare
Historical parallels
- The 2008 financial crisis spurred interest in quality investing, leading to the launch of the MSCI World Quality Index in 2006
- During the 2020 COVID‑19 market crash, investors increasingly favored companies with strong balance sheets and steady dividends
Key entities
Sources
- Geldanlage: Buy and hold – Wie die richtige Aktienstrategie Anleger ruhig schlafen lässt — Handelsblatt
- Geldanlage: Buy and hold – Wie die richtige Aktienstrategie Anleger ruhig schlafen lässt — Handelsblatt
- Geldanlage: Buy and hold – Wie die richtige Aktienstrategie Anleger ruhig schlafen lässt — Handelsblatt
- Geldanlage: Buy and hold – Wie die richtige Aktienstrategie Anleger ruhig schlafen lässt — Handelsblatt