When I’m trying to find the ‘best’ UK shares to help me retire rich, I don’t actually look for one magic stock. I focus on companies that perform well through good times and bad, and keep investing when others are cutting back.
Often they’re the sort of ‘boring’ companies that quietly keep hospitals stocked, shelves filled, or factories running – year after year.
For me, the ideal candidate is a business that stays profitable in a downturn, maintains solid cash flow, and still has room to grow.
That’s usually a better route to long‑term wealth than chasing this month’s hyped-up tech pipedream.
So what are we looking for?
Every company gets hit by shocks. What matters is whether management has planned ahead and left themselves room to manoeuvre.
When I look at UK shares with long-term potential, I like to see:
- Thick order books or recurring revenue that don’t disappear when the economy slows.
- Strong cash generation and sensible debt levels, so it isn’t begging the bank for lifelines.
- Access to reliable financing, which lets it keep investing when weaker rivals are forced to retreat.
- A clear history of using downturns to win new customers or grow market share.
That combination is powerful. It’s how some firms actually come out of a crisis stronger than they went in.
One good example
One FTSE 100 name that fits this template well is Bunzl (LSE: BNZL). It’s a distribution and outsourcing group that supplies everyday essentials such as packaging, cleaning and hygiene products, medical consumables and PPE.
It supplies foodservice, grocery, healthcare, cleaning and retail clients across more than 30 countries worldwide. Because these products are non‑discretionary, a single weak sector or region typically doesn’t knock the whole group off course.
In 2008, during the global financial crisis, it managed to grow revenue by 17% and operating profit by 15%. In the Covid period, revenue rose 9.4% and operating profit increased 20.9%.
Over time that resilience has translated into hard numbers: in 2024, Bunzl generated revenue of £11,776.4m and adjusted operating profit of £976.1m. It also reported cash conversion of 93% and a return on invested capital of 14.8%, indicating profits are backed by real cash, not accounting tricks.
Still, no stock is risk-free. As a global supplier, it faces foreign exchange swings, regulatory risks, and supply chain disruption. It’s navigated these challenges well in the past but there’s no guarantee that will continue.
Still, with huge scale, a diversified customer base, and a long record of acquisitions, its long-term potential is hard to ignore.
Putting it together
Nothing is a guaranteed money-maker, and no single share will make a millionaire on its own. But by focusing on companies that are resilient, cash‑generative and opportunistic in downturns, an investor can tilt the odds in their favour.
Bunzl is just one example to consider. Another UK name with similar qualities is Unilever, which delivered €60.8bn of turnover in 2024 but is currently going through a tough turnaround phase. Diageo is also a popular choice among wealth compounders, but despite a massive global market share, changing consumer habits have hit its bottom line.
That’s why diversification is so important – markets are constantly shifting, and yesterday’s golden ticket could be tomorrow’s dead weight. For that reason, Bunzl is high on my watchlist for 2026.
Should you invest £5,000 in Bunzl Plc right now?
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Mark Hartley owns shares in Diageo and Unilever.
