The Best Offense Is A Good Defense: 5 Strong Buys To Combat Volatility

Jun. 14, 2025 9:44 PM ET, , , , 28 Comments

Summary

  • Israel's and Iran’s military actions sent stocks tumbling on Friday, as fears of an all-out war in the Middle East permeated the market.
  • Bulls leading the stock market’s comeback in April like Nvidia (-2.2%) experienced losses while energy and defense stocks got a boost.
  • Commodity futures surged as gold hit an end-of-day record of $3,431.20 per troy ounce on Friday.
  • Seeking Alpha’s Quant system and proprietary safe-haven stock screener—built on our GARP strategy and drawing from a diverse mix of sectors and geographies—can help you de-risk your portfolio.
  • As we head into the second half of 2025, I invite you to join me for a live webinar unveiling my Top 10 Stocks for H2 2025 on June 17 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET.
  • Looking for more investing ideas like this one? Get them exclusively at Alpha Picks. Learn More »
Iran and Israel two flags together textile cloth fabric texture

Oleksii Liskonih

I’m Steven Cress—and welcome to Seeking Alpha Quant. In this article, I’ll discuss my top five safe haven stocks to shield your portfolio against volatility in the face of geopolitical unrest. Each one exhibits strong fundamentals, excellent valuation frameworks, above average growth, and a resilient balance

  • I am Steven Cress, Head of Quantitative Strategies at Seeking Alpha. I manage the quant ratings and factor grades on stocks and ETFs in Seeking Alpha Premium. I also lead Alpha Picks, which selects the two most attractive stocks to buy each month, and also determines when to sell them.


This article was written by

72.41K Followers

Steven Cress is VP of Quantitative Strategy and Market Data at Seeking Alpha. Steve is also the creator of the platform’s quantitative stock rating system and many of the analytical tools on Seeking Alpha. His contributions form the cornerstone of the Seeking Alpha Quant Rating system, designed to interpret data for investors and offer insights on investment directions, thereby saving valuable time for users. He is also the Founder and Co-Manager of Alpha Picks, a systematic stock recommendation tool designed to help long-term investors create a best-in-class portfolio.

Steve is passionate and dedicated to removing emotional biases from investment decisions. Utilizing a data-driven approach, he leverages sophisticated algorithms and technologies to simplify complex, laborious investment research, creating an easy-to-follow, daily updated grading system for stock trading recommendations.

Steve was previously the Founder and CEO of CressCap Investment Research until its acquisition by Seeking Alpha in 2018 for its unparalleled quant analysis and market data capabilities. Prior to that, he had also founded the quant hedge fund Cress Capital Management, after spending most of his career running a proprietary trading desk at Morgan Stanley and leading international business development at Northern Trust.

With over 30 years of experience in equity research, quantitative strategies, and portfolio management, Steve is well-positioned to speak on a wide range of investment topics.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given that any particular security, portfolio, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The author is not advising you personally concerning the nature, potential, value or suitability of any particular security or other matter. You alone are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, security or strategy, or any product or service, is appropriate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal and financial situation. Steven Cress is the Head of Quantitative Strategy at Seeking Alpha. Any views or opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.

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