If I were sitting on $50,000 in savings, I wouldn't be comfortable leaving it all in cash for too long. Not because markets can't pull back, but because over time I think quality businesses give you a far better chance of building wealth than a savings account ever will.
This is how I'd think about putting that money to work across S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares heading into February.
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
Bunnings and Kmart owner Wesfarmers has a habit of quietly building future growth engines long before they matter to earnings. Whether it's investing in healthcare, data-led retail, or newer formats that sit outside its traditional big-box strengths, management consistently uses the balance sheet to buy time and flexibility.
What I like right now is that expectations feel more grounded. After a strong run, the share price has cooled, but the business hasn't lost its ability to create value through reinvestment and experimentation. If even one of its newer initiatives scales meaningfully over the next few years, Wesfarmers could look very different again.
Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)
Goodman is where I'd look for long-term structural growth. Rather than being a traditional property trust, this ASX 200 share sits right in the middle of logistics, automation, and data centre demand. Those themes aren't going away, regardless of short-term economic noise. The fact that Goodman is still trading well below its highs, even as its development pipeline continues to expand, makes it more interesting to me.
This is the kind of stock I'd expect to quietly compound over many years if management keeps executing.
REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)
REA is one of those businesses that reminds you how powerful a dominant digital platform can be. What appeals to me most is that REA doesn't need a booming property market to perform. It needs listings, engagement, and pricing power, all of which it continues to demonstrate. Over time, it has proven it can monetise its audience in ways competitors simply can't match and I expect this to continue in the future.
I see REA as a high-quality ASX 200 stock that deserves a spot in most portfolios.
Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)
Wealth technology company Hub24 is a stock I would want to own for the next decade. The ongoing shift toward professional advice, platform consolidation, and transparent investment solutions continues to work in Hub24's favour. What stands out to me is that growth isn't just coming from market movements, but from genuine market share gains and adviser adoption. At the end of September, its platform was the sixth largest in Australia with a market share of 9.3%. This was up from 7.9% a year prior.
It's not cheap, but businesses that keep winning rarely are. If Hub24 continues to deliver, I think its shares could outperform through to 2030.
Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)
Flight Centre is the most cyclical stock in this group. The travel booking business has rebuilt itself significantly over the past few years, with a stronger focus on corporate travel, higher-margin segments like cruising, and a more disciplined cost base. Travel demand doesn't need to explode for Flight Centre to perform, it just needs to remain resilient.
I like owning an ASX 200 share like this when sentiment is still mixed, but the underlying business is on firmer footing than it was in the past.
Foolish Takeaway
If I were investing $50,000 today, I'd focus on quality, diversification, and businesses I'd be comfortable holding through ups and downs.
This mix gives me defensive strength through Wesfarmers, structural growth through Goodman and Hub24, platform dominance via REA, and cyclical upside through Flight Centre.
