My Market Crash Shopping List 2026

Market Crash Shopping List & Investment Updates

Key Concepts:

• Market Crash Shopping List: A pre-defined list of investments the speaker intends to purchase when market corrections create favorable entry points.
• Dollar-Cost Averaging: An investment strategy where a fixed amount of money is invested at regular intervals, regardless of asset price.
• Accumulation Funds: ETFs that automatically reinvest dividends back into the fund, increasing the value of holdings.
• Credit Spreads: The difference in yield between bonds of different credit qualities, indicating risk perception.
• Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs): Regular, automated investments into a fund, common in India.
• REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts): Companies that own or finance income-producing real estate.

1. Portfolio Performance Review (“Marking My Homework”)

The speaker revisits previous investments made during market downturns to assess their performance. The core strategy is to view market corrections as opportunities to acquire assets at discounted prices, primarily for a “fun portfolio” alongside more passive index fund investments.

• Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT): Purchased during the 2022 tech wreck (Halloween). Initially down 16%, it has since risen almost 60%. The appeal lies in its exposure to private companies and innovative themes (SpaceX, AI) not readily available through standard index funds. It extends the investment universe beyond publicly listed companies.
• Copper Miner Portfolio: Experienced volatility in early 2025 due to recession fears. The speaker held firm, anticipating continued demand from the energy transition and AI data centers, coupled with constrained supply due to long lead times for new mine development. Outages in Chile and Peru further validated the investment.
• UK Small Cap Portfolio (Autumn 2024): Initially disastrous, falling 20%, but recovered to be up 21%, driven by gold miners. The portfolio employed a three-style tilt (quality, value, momentum) and outperformed the CUKS UK small cap ETF benchmark, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach. Correlation with small caps was observed, but with superior returns.

2. Lightyear Sponsorship & “Plans” Feature

The video is sponsored by Lightyear, a UK investment platform. A new feature called “Plans” is highlighted.

• Plans: Allow investors to group investments under a specific goal (retirement, home purchase, etc.), set automatic investments, define custom weights for each asset, and utilize dollar-cost averaging. Integration with bank standing orders or Lightyear cash balances is possible. Plans are currently available on general investment and business accounts, with commission-free stocks and shares expected to be supported soon. (Note: Fund Manager and FX fees may still apply).
• Promo Code: “pensioncraft” offers up to £100 in a fractional share or ETF.

3. Current Market Crash Shopping List

The speaker outlines investments he is currently monitoring for potential purchase during the next market sell-off.

• Semiconductor Funds: Valuations are currently “skyhigh” due to the AI boom. The speaker intends to buy into this theme after a market crash. Four sterling-denominated, accumulation ETFs with a 0.35% fee are considered:
  • Amundi MSCI Semiconductors ESG Screened ETF (SEMG): Outperformed due to its lack of weighting caps, allowing it to fully benefit from the surges in Nvidia, Broadcom, and TSMC. However, the speaker avoids this fund due to its high concentration risk in these three stocks. Caps in other funds are seen as a protective measure.
  • Other Semiconductor ETFs: The speaker prefers funds with weighting caps for diversification.
• Indian Equity: Attractive due to rapid economic growth, political stability, and a growing middle class. However, valuations are extremely high, driven by consistent inflows from domestic retail investors via SIPs. The Indian Rupee is also steadily devaluing (around 5% per year), negatively impacting returns in developed market currency terms. Purchase is contingent on a significant sell-off.
• European Defense: The “peace dividend” is over, with Europe structurally rearming to meet the 5% of GDP NATO target by 2035 (3-2% for core defense, up to 1.5% for wider security). This represents a multi-decade spending spree. Potential ETFs include:
  • WisdomTree European Defence UCITS ETF (WDE): 4% management fee, sterling-denominated, accumulation fund.
  • iShares MSCI Europe Defence & Space UCITS ETF (ARMY/Navy): Trades in US dollars (ARMY) and sterling (Navy).
• Cyber Security: Demand is resilient even during downturns, as companies prioritize security over marketing. The threat landscape is expanding with AI-powered attacks. Funds of interest:
  • WisdomTree Cybersecurity UCITS ETF (CYS): 0.45% fee.
  • Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUGG): 0.5% fee.

4. Quick-Fire Round of Additional Themes

• Junk Bonds: Currently have tight credit spreads. The optimal time to buy is during a credit crisis. Pension Craft premium members can track credit spreads.
• Emerging Market Bonds: Offer high yields but are currently compressed. Awaiting an EM crisis or risk-off sentiment.
• Gilts (UK Government Bonds): A crisis in gilts is viewed as an opportunity to lock in higher yields.
• Data Center REITs: Currently out of favor due to overcapacity concerns, but considered a long-term theme for potential purchase during a risk-off period.

Key Arguments & Perspectives:

• Corrections as Opportunities: The speaker consistently frames market corrections as buying opportunities, emphasizing the importance of a pre-defined “shopping list.”
• Diversification & Style Tilts: The UK small cap portfolio demonstrates the value of diversification and incorporating specific investment styles (quality, value, momentum).
• Concentration Risk: The speaker cautions against highly concentrated funds (like SEMG) despite their recent performance, highlighting the importance of diversification.
• Long-Term Perspective: Investments in themes like European defense and data centers are viewed as long-term trends, requiring patience and a willingness to buy during pullbacks.

Notable Quotes:

• “I like owning rockets via SpaceX, but also artificial intelligence companies like Open AI and Anthropic.” – Illustrating the speaker’s interest in innovative technologies.
• “Remember that caps are there for a reason, and it's there to protect you from this concentration risk.” – Emphasizing the importance of diversification.
• “The time to buy junk bonds is when there's a credit crisis.” – Highlighting the cyclical nature of certain asset classes.

Conclusion:

The video advocates for a disciplined, long-term investment approach, viewing market corrections as opportunities to acquire undervalued assets. The speaker emphasizes the importance of diversification, understanding concentration risk, and having a pre-defined investment strategy (“market crash shopping list”). The Lightyear sponsorship introduces a tool (“Plans”) to facilitate goal-based, automated investing with dollar-cost averaging. The overall message is to remain patient, do your own research, and be prepared to capitalize on market downturns.