3 ASX stocks to buy during a market crash

ASX has been highly volatile throughout the first half of 2026 due to geopolitical tensions along with persistent inflation pressures and sharp movements in technology stocks which has increased concerns about a potential stock market crash.

Market crashes often create attractive long-term opportunities for patient investors and the following three ASX stocks could be worthwhile additions to a portfolio during a crash.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) 

Transurban Group is one of the best ASX stocks to buy in a stock market crash because it owns essential toll road infrastructure that will generate highly predictable and resilient cash flows regardless of market volatility.
The company has maintained strong operational performance as average daily traffic across the group increased 3% year-on-year during the March quarter of 2026.

What makes TCL particularly defensive is that more than 90% of its revenue is tied to CPI or fixed toll increases which will provide a natural hedge against inflation and supports long term earnings growth during uncertain economic periods.

Traffic volumes across key markets continue to recover and expand while major infrastructure developments along with urban population growth and rising congestion in Australia's largest cities support future earnings and cash flow growth.

The business has historically remained resilient during periods of economic and market disruption because its roads are essential transport assets used daily by commuters and freight operators which keeps demand relatively stable compared with many cyclical industries.

Transurban currently has a market capitalisation of $47.11 billion and offers an annual unfranked dividend yield of 4.44%.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) 

Xero Limited is one of the best ASX stocks to buy in a market crash because it has stable recurring subscription revenue with high customer retention.
The company in FY26 reported excellent financial results as operating revenue rose 31% year-on-year to NZ$2.75 billion while adjusted EBITDA increased 18% to NZ$757 million.
Its global customer base expanded to 4.92 million customers which was 11% higher than the prior corresponding period.

Average revenue per customer climbed 23% to NZ$55.44 as a result of successful monetisation initiatives together with pricing power and a larger contribution from payments.
Management is highly positive about future performance and has guided FY27 revenue to between NZ$3.62 billion and NZ$3.73 billion with adjusted EBITDA expected to range from NZ$860 million to NZ$920 million.

The current market capitalisation is $13.16 billion and Xero is well placed to outperform during periods of market weakness and become even stronger when market conditions improve.

Wesfarmers Limited (ASX: WES) 

Wesfarmers Limited  is a solid ASX stock to buy during a stock market crash because it has a portfolio of lucrative businesses and has a current market capitalisation of $89.21 billion.
The company in FY26 reported first-half revenue of $24.2 billion which was up 3.1% from the prior corresponding period while EBIT increased 8.4% to $2.49 billion and NPAT rose 9.3% to $1.60 billion.

Earnings per share climbed 9.3% to 141.4 cents and return on equity improved to an impressive 32.7% which highlights the strength of the company's operating model despite challenging economic conditions.

Free cash flow reached $2.75 billion and the fully franked interim dividend increased 7.4% to $1.02 per share while the current annual fully franked dividend yield is 3.22%.
Recent developments include the rollout of AI initiatives across the group along with strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Google Cloud as well as productivity improvements through digitisation.

(Source: Company Announcements)