Since mid-February, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lost around 31.7% of its value – going off today's prices. But the ASX 200 index represents an 'average' of sorts of the whole market.
In this ASX 200 bear market we now find ourselves mired in, some ASX companies would have done worse than this, and some would have performed better.
So for investors looking for companies with more of a 'safe-haven' status, here are three ASX blue-chips that have held up better than the overall market since we last saw a record high for the ASX 200.
Nothing is guaranteed on the share market, but in my opinion, I think these companies offer more chance than most for long-term capital preservation.
Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)
Transurban shares last topped out at $16.44 in mid-February but are going for just $11.70 at the time of writing – a drop of 28.6%. Transurban is a toll-road company with a huge portfolio of critical infrastructure assets across Australia's capital cities, so it makes sense that its shares have help up slightly better than the overall market. Its defensive earnings base, reliable cash flows and legislative security over tolling prices add up to a solid investment in my view.
Additionally, on current prices, Transurban shares offer a 5.2% dividend yield, which I think is very attractive in this era of record-low/zero interest rates.
CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)
CSL shares are up 4.61% today to $292 a share. That means that since mid-February's highs of $342.75, the ASX's biggest company has lost around 15% of its value – around half the losses of the broader market.
Of course, this trend is fairly easy to understand. CSL is a healthcare company that specialises in vaccine research and blood medicines – hardly reasons for investors to run for the hills in the current climate. Thus, I think CSL is a great 'safe haven' kind of company right now, and I would have no problem adding CSL shares to my portfolio at the current price.
APA Group (ASX: APA)
APA is a company that owns the largest network of natural gas supply pipelines in the country – servicing most of the East Coast's gas needs. As such, it is a fairly defensive, rent-collecting kind of business – which explains why the APA share price has only lost around 13.5% since this bear market began.
For these reasons, I think APA is a prime candidate to consider if you're after more of a 'safe' ASX blue-chip. On current prices, APA shares are offering a trailing dividend yield of 4.91%.
