The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride for long-term investors. The S 500 index reached all-time highs as the world emerged from the pandemic, then spent much of 2022 in a bear market. Now the index is up 27% from its October lows, and many investors are optimistic that we may be in a new bull market.

Despite the recent market rally, there is still some uncertainty about the near future. Interest rates are at their highest point in two decades, affecting everything from commercial real estate to bank lending. Moody's pointed to the risk from higher interest rates when it recently downgraded several regional bank stocks.

As long-term investors, we can't obsess over every potential risk that could lead to a market sell-off. Investing is a long-term game, and one smart thing you can do is invest in quality companies that can ride out market crashes and thrive during long bull markets. Three stocks that could be a safe bet if we do get a market crash are (NYSE: V), Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT).

Continue reading

Source Fool.com