Four ‘crash‑proof’ UK shares Midas says can withstand global and domestic turmoil

A Midas column in the Daily Mail’s Money section recommended four UK-listed stocks it described as ‘crash‑proof’, arguing they combine defensive characteristics with demonstrable growth plans as global and domestic uncertainty persists.

The column singled out construction group Galliford Try, ventilation specialist Volution, pensions adviser XPS and industrial trader DCC, saying each had shown resilience in past downturns and had catalysts for further earnings or shareholder returns.

Galliford Try was highlighted for a narrower, lower‑risk focus since it spun off its housebuilding arm in 2020. The Midas piece said the group specialises in defence accommodation, secure government sites, schools, prisons, roads and water infrastructure and benefits from a long visible order book. Results for the year to last June are expected this week and, according to the column, are forecast to show a roughly 7% rise in sales to about £1.9 billion, a near‑30% increase in operating profits to about £42.5 million and a dividend up about 15% to 17.8p. Chief executive Bill Hocking has targeted revenues above £2.2 billion by 2030, the column noted, and brokers cited by Midas put a near‑term share target above the current quoted level of about £4.17. Galliford Try is traded on the main market under the ticker GFRD.

Volution, owner of Vent‑Axia and a specialist in residential and light‑commercial ventilation, was recommended on the back of sustained demand for improved indoor air quality and structural housing shortfalls in several markets. The Midas column recalled that Volution joined the stock market in 2014 and has delivered average annual growth of more than 10% with dividends rising in every year except 2020. Chief executive Ronnie George, in place for nearly 14 years, has grown the business organically and through acquisitions across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe. The column said Volution shares have risen around fourfold to roughly £6.30 since 2014 and that city analysts expect near‑term underlying profits of about £93 million, with dividend progress to follow. Volution trades on the main market under the ticker FAN.

Pensions consultant XPS was noted for its recurring revenue profile and corporate de‑risking opportunities. The firm manages schemes for about 1,300 employers — from large retailers to technology groups — and looks after pensions for more than one million current and former employees, the column said. It added that roughly 90% of annual sales are recurring, and that the trend of companies offloading pension liabilities to insurers creates additional opportunity for advisers such as XPS. Chief executive Paul Cuff, an actuary by background, has led the business since 2016. Broker forecasts cited by Midas show steady earnings and dividend progression, with dividend guidance of around 12.5p pencilled in for 2026 and 13.8p the following year. XPS is listed on the main market as XPS.

DCC, the Dublin‑based energy and services group, was presented as a long‑running dividend payer that has recently reshaped itself after strategic missteps. The company sells fuel and related products to off‑grid customers in the UK, Europe and North America and has raised its dividend every year since its 1994 flotation, the column said. DCC’s move into healthcare and technology divisions weighed on the share price after 2018, with the stock having declined from levels near £80 in 2018 to around £47.30 at the time of the Midas piece. The column reported that DCC has sold its healthcare division, returned about £800 million to shareholders and is continuing to dispose of parts of the technology portfolio; those actions are expected by the column’s sources to support buybacks and a recovery in the shares. DCC is listed on the main market under the ticker DCC.

The Midas column also included a short list of retail investing platforms commonly used by DIY investors to access these names, naming AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown, interactive investor, InvestEngine and Trading 212.

The recommendations come as UK indices have traded near record levels even as commentators point to geopolitical tensions, regional unrest and domestic political criticism. The Midas column framed its selections as defensive options for investors seeking companies with predictable cash flows, visible order books or structural market tailwinds.

Several of the firms mentioned are due to report or update results in the near term, and brokers quoted in the column supplied the forecasts and targets cited above. Investors assessing the recommendations should weigh company‑specific fundamentals, near‑term earnings schedules and broader market conditions before making decisions.