Some of the best opportunities in the share market don't appear when optimism is high and headlines are glowing. They tend to show up when sentiment is weak, patience is thin, and investors are focusing on what could go wrong rather than what could go right.
Buying quality businesses during these moments can feel uncomfortable, but it is often how long-term wealth is built.
The key is separating ASX stocks facing short-term headwinds from those with genuinely broken business models.
Here are three ASX stocks I would be happy to look at now the market has lost interest in them.
Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)
Accent Group is a good example of a business that can fall out of favour quickly when consumer sentiment weakens. As a footwear retailer, it sits right in the firing line when shoppers tighten their belts.
But look beyond the near-term noise and there's a well-run company with strong brand relationships, a scalable store network, and a growing digital presence. Accent has also shown discipline around inventory and costs, which matters a lot during tougher retail conditions.
When retail stocks are unloved, valuations often assume the worst-case scenario. For patient investors, that can create opportunities to buy a proven operator before consumer spending eventually recovers.
Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)
It hasn't been a good year for Treasury Wine Estates. If anything could go wrong, it went wrong for the wine giant this year.
Despite this, it is worth remembering that the company owns some of the most valuable wine brands in the world, including Penfolds, and continues to focus on premiumisation rather than volume at any cost. Wine demand may fluctuate year to year, but global appetite for high-quality, aspirational brands has proven resilient over time.
The ASX stock now has a plan in place to arrest its decline. And while it will take time, it is likely that the worst is now priced in by the market. So, for patient investors willing to look past short-term earnings pressure, Treasury Wine could be worth a look.
Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)
Xero is rarely described as cheap in absolute terms, but it can become deeply unpopular when growth stocks fall out of favour. Which is what we are seeing right now, especially in the tech sector given AI bubble fears.
Yet Xero continues to build a powerful global platform for small businesses, with millions of subscribers and high recurring revenue. Accounting software is mission-critical, switching costs are high, and the total addressable market remains vast.
For long-term investors, this could be a great time to build a position in one of the highest quality ASX stocks out there.
