It's easy to be a bull in uncertain times.
But if you want to be realistic, you seek out a professional investor who is honest enough to acknowledge that we're navigating through turbulence.
Then ask her or him which ASX shares they have recently added to their portfolio.
FNArena founder Rudi Filapek-Vandyck is one such expert.
"This is not the time to be overly bullish or overly confident about what lies ahead," he told Switzer TV Investing.
"The price action in the share market doesn't accurately reflect the risks and the threats that are ahead of us."
Filapek-Vandyck revealed 3 ASX shares he's personally bought to take him through an anxious year:
Image source: Getty Images
'Undeservedly cheap'
Jobs classifieds site Seek Limited (ASX: SEK) had lost a quarter of its value from last November to this month. It has recovered somewhat in the last few days to be 11.27% down for 2022.
Filapek-Vandyck owns the stock and reckons the market has overreacted.
"Almost every analyst that covers the company thinks it's undeservedly cheap here," he said.
"So there's a lot of conviction out there that Seek will do well and has not been treated well."
If the business goes well, some analysts think it could hit $40 in the future.
Patience is key though, according to Filapek-Vandyck.
"That potential may not necessarily come tomorrow because at this point in time, the market is very much besotted with energy stocks and mining stocks," he said.
"At some point, the attention will shift to the industrials."
Filapek-Vandyck speculated that rotation might happen in August when the next set of financial results is released.
"They did it in February, and the result was much better than anyone expected. But the problem in February was there was absolutely no attention for stocks like Seek."
'Sturdy and reliable' market leader
Another stock Filapek-Vandyck nominated as "solid, promising, sturdy and reliable" as Seek was IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL).
"Crisis, like with COVID-19 and lockdowns, makes the strong companies stronger," he said.
"And this is a market leader in global English language tests."
These tests, called International English Language Testing System (IELTS), is a standardised test that students need to pass if they want to gain admission to a foreign university.
Overseas student placement is big business, and will only accelerate coming out of the pandemic.
"This company is gradually transforming into the monopolist for that type of test globally."
IDP shares have risen 568% over the past 5 years and 25% over the last 12 months.
Former darling will 'find its mojo again'
CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) rewarded investors handsomely for decades until the coronavirus pandemic hit.
The stock price, unfortunately, is still down more than 21% from its pre-COVID high.
"I recently bought some extra shares in CSL," said Filapek-Vandyck.
"The business model was disrupted because of COVID… If I look forward to the next 2 to 3 years, I see an environment where CSL will again come to the fore."
Beyond the current commodities rally CSL will "find its mojo again", he added.
"If we're getting an environment where earnings forecasts are falling and companies are issuing profit warnings,… you want to go to the reliability and the safety of CSL."
