Goodness, it’s grim on the market. As I sort, the FTSE 100 is having one other terrible day because of the commerce warfare instigated by President Trump. It’s now down virtually 7% in 2025 to date.

As dispiriting as that could be, I at all times regard such falls as a possibility to snap up nice shares at a reduction with the intention of constructing wealth over the long run. That’s what being a Idiot is all about.

However shopping for when everybody else appears to be promoting is all simpler mentioned than completed, after all. After which there’s the query of which specific shares to go for.

For a little bit of enjoyable, I made a decision to ask ChatGPT.

Potential secure havens

One sector highlighted as someplace to go searching was valuable metallic miners. As the massive good points seen within the gold price in current weeks present, the shiny stuff has lengthy been considered a secure haven by traders in instances of hassle. Because of this, Fresnillo may very well be price pondering. The £6bn cap is certainly one of Mexico’s largest gold producers (and the world’s main silver producer). Tellingly, its share price is definitely up at present (9 April)!

One other sector that cropped up was Aerospace and Defence. From the FTSE 100, we’re speaking BAE Programs and Rolls-Royce. Once more, I perceive the logic behind this. With relations between nations frosty to say the least — to not point out the continuing battle between Ukraine and Russia — it seems seemingly that defence spending is simply going in a single path. Nevertheless, it’s price noting that these shares have been very unstable of late, most likely as a result of some swift profit-taking.

Nice alternative?

Maybe the AI bot’s most attention-grabbing suggestion, nonetheless, was healthcare shares. Once more, this appears logical. As simplistic an funding case as it could be, there’ll at all times be demand for vaccines and coverings.

Then once more, it’s simply been introduced that Donald Trump is planning for a “major” tariff on all pharmaceutical imports. This helps to clarify why one of many UK’s largest gamers — GSK (LSE: GSK) — is struggling at present.

Though this is able to characterize a transparent threat to the corporate, I’d be staggered if this got here to cross. The availability chain on this sector is fiendishly complicated and any radical modifications (e.g. setting up factories within the US) would take a very long time to implement as a result of regulatory hurdles. This might result in drug shortages and/or considerably greater costs within the interim, putting lives in danger.

Taking this under consideration, I agree that GSK is worthy of consideration, particularly as its shares already traded at lower than eight instances forecast earnings earlier than markets opened.

Previous to the tariff warfare erupting, buying and selling regarded wholesome too. In February, CEO Emma Walmsley introduced that This fall gross sales had crushed estimates. The agency’s 2031 gross sales goal was additionally lifted to over £40bn.

Security in numbers

ChatGPT can’t predict the longer term or know my private threat tolerance and monetary circumstances. This being the case, I might by no means purchase a slice of GSK or the rest based mostly purely on what it spews out. I see it as certainly one of many research choices, nothing extra.

Even so, I absolutely intend on utilizing others’ worry to my benefit on days like this and, to cite Warren Buffett, load up on ‘quality merchandise’ whereas I can.