As we enter 2023, uncertainty remains the watchword for businesses. From a resurgent Covid in China to inflation and rising interest rates in the West, tipping stocks has rarely been harder. Our portfolio picks have a distinctly defensive theme, with dependable dividends, utilities and discount retail being a feature, although some are pitched to benefit from a potential economic rebound.
Jim Armitage
I’m expecting a year of two halves — glum for the first six months or so, but with a US-led improvement from the summer. That left me hunting for a stock with a safe dividend, but also a bit of va-va-voom when the pick-up emerges.
Take a bow, XP Power, whose power converters are vital parts of the machines that make semiconductors, industrial
