The 7 Worst Stocks to Buy in a Recession Do you want to know the worst stocks to buy in a recession? Read on, and I’ll give you seven names to avoid should we officially enter the fourth recession in the 2000s. In the past 22 years , there have been three official recessions. The first lasted eight months, from March 2001 until November 2001. That followed the dot.com bust. The next recession was a doozy. That’s why they named it the Great Recession. It lasted 18 months, from December 2007 to June 2009. The third and final recession was the Covid-19 recession. It lasted all of two months, from February 2020 to April 2020. You could argue that we’re in a recession today. However, the ultimate decision lies with the National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of eight economists who weigh several different numbers to determine if a recession has happened. Often, their determination comes after we’re already in one or, in some cases, already out. So, determining which stocks you shouldn’t buy in a recession is a little bit like a cat chasing its tail; you probably aren’t going to be very successful.