On 19 October 1987, the FTSE 100 — the index of main UK shares — misplaced 10.8%. Thirty-seven years later, it’s simply forgotten that Black Monday was adopted by a good worse Tuesday, when the index fell one other 12.2%.

The UK wasn’t alone. World inventory markets are estimated to have misplaced $1.7trn on account of the mass sell-off.

And historical past tells us that October could be a unstable time for the Footsie. 4 of the 5 greatest one-day falls (and 6 of the ten largest) have all taken place in the identical month as Halloween. As somebody who has most of their portfolio invested within the index, I discover this scary.

Nonetheless, circumstances are very completely different right this moment to these of earlier years.

1987

Black Monday was blamed on an prolonged bull run in US shares.

Through the 5 years previous to the crash, the Dow Jones Industrial Common had risen 250%. Though the current rally within the American inventory market has been a robust one, the S&P 500 has ‘only’ elevated 93%, since October 2019.

Different contributory components have been mentioned to be rising rates of interest and a fall within the greenback.

However the Federal Reserve has not too long ago began to chop borrowing prices. And the US Greenback Index has fallen solely 4% over the previous 5 years.

2008

Twenty-one years later, the October turbulence was attributable to a world monetary disaster. These days, though the world financial system hasn’t absolutely recovered post-pandemic, it seems to be getting in the proper path.

I’m not anticipating a inventory market crash this month, though nothing might be dominated out. Nonetheless, aside from taking a long run view, I’m unsure how anticipating the surprising might be translated into an efficient buying and selling technique.

But when I used to be forecasting a interval of instability for UK equities, there’s one share that I’d prefer to have in my portfolio.

Protecting the lights on

Nationwide Grid (LSE:NG.) has defensive properties that ought to make it climate a monetary downturn higher than most.

Its enterprise of supplying fuel and electrical energy needs to be largely unaffected by market turmoil. Within the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its share price went up. And whereas it did fall within the early days of the pandemic, it recovered faster than many others.

Importantly, the corporate enjoys monopoly standing in its key markets. Subsequently, it doesn’t must waste time (or spend cash) discovering new clients.

Nonetheless, it’s a regulated enterprise and might’t cost what it likes. It’s additionally required to keep up a sure stage of funding. In June, it shocked buyers by asserting a £7bn rights problem to assist meet its obligations.

However so long as all the pieces goes to plan, it ought to know with cheap certainty what stage of return it’s going to make.

Over the previous three years, it’s been in a position to enhance its underlying earnings per share by 13%. And this implies its dividends are dependable and predictable. The inventory’s at the moment yielding 5.9%, comfortably above the FTSE 100 common of three.8%.

On stability, I imagine Nationwide Grid could be a great share to personal if I believed the market was going to enter a interval of volatility. Nonetheless, I’m not anticipating any turbulence so I don’t wish to make investments in the intervening time.