I am an investor who tries to invest what I can and when I can into the markets. There are precious few certainties in the world of investing. But two of them are that the markets go up far more often than they go down in a stock market crash, and the market has never failed to exceed a previous all-time high. By that logic, it makes sense to get money into the markets as soon as possible.
Saying that, I am also an investor who loves to buy shares at the kind of steep discounts that we do tend to see during a stock market correction or crash. As such, I do tend to keep some money on the sidelines for that time that the inevitable market crash rolls around.
Now, I, along with everyone else on the planet, have no idea when the next market crash will arrive. For all I know, it could be in 2026 or in 2036.
But I do know the companies that I will attempt to load the boat with when that crash does come.
My stock market crash buy list for 2026
When the market goes through a period defined by intense fear, I usually try to prioritise companies that tend to trade at lofty valuations. That's because it is often the only time you can buy shares of these companies at reasonable prices.
As such, I would have my eye firmly on two ASX tech shares in the next crash. Those are TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) and Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME).
Both of these companies are growing at exceptional rates, with high levels of free cash flow and compelling growth runways. As a result, it is normal for both TechnologyOne and Pro Medicus to trade with expensive price tags. But if there is a buying window to snatch up these stocks at a bargain price, I'll be trying hard to climb through it.
I would also be looking to buy more shares of Washington H. SouL Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL). As I've long documented, Soul Patts is one of my top ASX investments, and any chance to buy more shares of this market-beater at low prices would (at least in my view) do wonders for my long-term wealth.
I wouldn't stop at the ASX, though. These days, stock market crashes are global events. And I will be turning to the US markets when the next one happens as well. Some of the stocks I would be looking forward to loading up on include Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: COST), Mastercard Inc (NYSE: MA), McDonald's Corp (NYSE: MCD) and Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META). These are all top-quality companies that (with the possible exception of Meta) never seem to go on sale. If they did, I would be there with as much cash as I could muster.
