5 ASX shares to buy in a market crash

What were stocks the experts wanted to buy for a bargain, and are they actually cheap now that the stock market is a bit down?

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) dropped another 0.74% on Friday, taking losses to more than 2% for the past month.

Growth stocks have especially suffered recently, as investors shift to value shares in anticipation of an economic recovery and inflation.

For example, the S&P ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) index has nearly lost a painful 15% over the past month.

Ouch.

While we're nowhere near the definition of a crash, the current correction has brought some darlings of 2020 back down to earth.

At the start of the year, a group of fund managers picked out shares that they thought were too expensive but would love to snap up if the price ever tumbled.

The Motley Fool takes a look back at 5 of those to see how much they have discounted:

Woman in pink shirt ticks checklist with red checkmarks

Image source: Getty Images

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd (ASX: FPH)

Sage Capital portfolio manager Kelli Meagher snapped up healthcare player Fisher & Paykel for cheap during last year's COVID-19 crash and did pretty well out of it.

But of course, that same appreciation made it too expensive by the end of the year.

"It's trading at a particularly high multiple at the moment given its earnings have been very elevated from COVID," she said in January.

"COVID-19 has actually put a spotlight on just how useful and beneficial their products are and how quickly it helps people breathe again, get out of the hospital, and save the hospitals' money. So, I think their addressable market from here is going to be a lot bigger and their growth trajectory is going to be a lot higher than what it would have been if COVID-19 had never happened."

At the end of the 2020, Fisher & Paykel traded for $30.95. It is now 15% cheaper, selling for $26.33 after market close on Friday.

REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

At the start of the year, Spheria portfolio manager Matthew Booker loved the look of REA — but thought it was just too expensive.

"We think REA is a good business, but in a sell-off, I would probably pick it up at the right price," he told Livewire in January.

"We own some in one of our strategies, but it's too expensive for us at the moment and we're cycling out of it and we're finding better relative [opportunities] outside of that."

REA closed out 2020 at $148.86. It has now come down almost 9%, closing Friday at $135.89.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

TMS Capital portfolio manager Ben Clark reckoned Hub24 will eventually hold a duopoly in its field.

"I think Netwealth and HUB24 are going to be two dominant players in this industry for many years to come and they're going to have strong revenue growth for many years," he said in January.

"But they're about to hit the operating leverage part of the cycle, which is the sweet spot when you want to own those companies. I should have stepped in and done something about it and now they're quite pricey again."

Hub24 ended 2020 at $21.34. Clark said back then that he would buy if the stock went down to $15 or $16. 

It was trading at $19.48 at market close on Friday, which is nearly 9% down year-to-date.

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

Two experts selected education services provider IDP as the stock they would like to nab during a market correction.

"It is a global leader in the placement of international students and also does the IELTS English testing distribution," Paradice portfolio manager Julia Weng told Livewire in January.

"It has obviously been impacted by COVID, but prior to COVID, volumes were growing at 30% a year and even now there's strong pent-up demand with a lot of students choosing to study online."

Lennox Capital equity analyst Olivia Salmon agreed at the time.

"Love the business, love that tertiary education sector — don't love the share price at the moment given the worries that you have with the China-Australia relationship… and even China's relationship with the rest of the world," she said.

"It's a stock I'd love to own, just at a lower price."

So is it cheaper now? Unfortunately for Weng and Salmon, the stock price has actually gone up.

IDP ended 2020 at $19.85. It was trading for $23.55 at the close of trade Friday.

Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)

Eley Griffiths portfolio manager David Allingham told Livewire at the start of the year that he would love to swoop on Pro Medicus if it were a bit cheaper.

"It's got genuinely disruptive technology and is winning major clients and major market share in the US," he said at the time.

"We've followed it for a number of years. The management team [has] done an exceptional job on an execution standpoint, but it's just always been too expensive for us. The valuation is astronomical; whether it's revenue multiple, P/E ratio, or EBITDA multiple."

Allingham would be disappointed to see that Pro Medicus shares have appreciated even further this year. The stock closed out last year at $34.16 but traded at $43.87 at the end of Friday's session.

Tony Yoo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Hub24 Ltd and Idp Education Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 Ltd, Pro Medicus Ltd., and REA Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

More on Share Market News

Broker written in white with a man drawing a yellow underline.
Broker Notes

Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week

Brokers gave buy ratings to these ASX shares last week. Why are they bullish?

Read more »

A boy bounds after a big colourful bouncing ball in a grassy field.
Share Market News

ASX 200 energy shares lead and market finally cracks 8-day losing streak

The ASX 200's painful 8-day slide finally ended on Friday.

Read more »

Business people discussing project on digital tablet.
Broker Notes

Buy, hold, sell: Mesoblast, Mineral Resources, and Woolworths shares

Analysts have given their verdict on these shares. Let's see what they are saying.

Read more »

A young man punches the air in delight as he reacts to great news on his mobile phone.
Broker Notes

These top ASX 200 shares could rise 30% to 40%

Analysts are predicting big things from these shares. Let's find out why.

Read more »

Stacks of coins in a row with each higher than the last, and a person standing on top of each one watching them grow.
Dividend Investing

How I'd invest $2,000 in high-yield ASX 300 shares

I rate these businesses as strong buys for the long-term.

Read more »

A rueful woman tucks into a sweet pie as she contemplates a decision with regret.
Share Fallers

The worst 4 ASX 200 stocks to buy and hold in April unmasked

Investors sent these four ASX 200 stocks tumbling 21% to 44% in April.

Read more »

A man sitting at a computer is blown away by what he's seeing on the screen, hair and tie whooshing back as he screams argh in panic.
Share Fallers

Why these top ASX shares sank 10%+ in April

It was a tough month for these popular shares.

Read more »

A man in his office leans back in his chair with his hands behind his head looking out his window at the city, sitting back and relaxed, confident in his ASX share investments for the long term.
Broker Notes

Buy, hold, sell: Netwealth, PLS, and Reliance shares

Morgans has given its verdict on these shares. Let's see what the broker is saying.

Read more »