If the stock market crashes again I’ll be looking for bargains to buy for my shares portfolio. It’s not just economic-sensitive shares that get sold off when investor confidence sinks. Even companies with highly defensive operations can sink during a broader panic.
Here are three cheap UK shares I’d consider buying if they fall far in price. Each currently changes hands for less than £3.50.
A defensive hero
We have to spend to fill our bellies even when broader economic conditions worsen. This is why I think Devro (LSE: DVO) could be a top stock to buy if it falls amid a broader stock market crash. This cheap UK share manufactures sausage skins that it sells across developed and emerging markets.
I’ve long liked Devro because of the massive investment it has made in fast-growing developing territories, China, in particular. Meat demand in these geographies is tipped to keep rising strongly as personal income levels rise. Indeed, Devro’s latest financials said that it enjoyed strong growth in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa during the four months to October. I’d buy the business despite the threat posed to its operations by the growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets.
Riding the petcare boom
People in Europe are spending more and more money to keep their companion animals happy and healthy. This is what makes Animalcare Group (LSE: ANCR) such an attractive stock in my book. Analysts at the Business Research Company think the global animal medicine market will be worth $85.1bn by 2030. That compares with the $42.5bn it was estimated at in 2019.
I am aware, however, that Animalcare (like Devro) could be hit by the rise of meat-free diets. This is because the business supplies medicines for livestock as well as for pets in Europe. Indeed, a report by Smart Protein over the summer showed that 46% of Europeans had reduced their meat consumption on a 12-month basis. Still, I think the bright outlook for the petcare market offsets this threat.
A consumer goods colossus
I bought Unilever shares because I considered it to be a relatively secure place to park my money. Products like Dove soap, Magnum ice cream, and Domestic bleach give it a market-leading position in ultra-defensive food and household and personal goods markets. I am also considering snapping up PZ Cussons (LSE: PZC) for my portfolio because it shares the same qualities. Brands like Imperial Leather soaps have been excellent sales generators for the business for decades now.
PZ Cussons has a great track record of innovating its powerhouse labels to keep consumers interested. And it has supercharged marketing investment in the likes of Imperial Leather, too. I also reckon the business will benefit from changing consumer attitudes towards hygiene following the Covid-19 outbreak. Despite the threat of rising raw material costs, I think PZ Cussons (like Unilever) could thrive even if the economic recovery runs out of steam.