It’s a novel month and I’m looking for the best stock to buy in November. However, this is a challenging time for an investor. Recently, there have been repeated warnings about a potential stock market crash. Many believe that artificial intelligence will be the trigger. They say artificial intelligence is in a bubble. That we are once again dealing with a boom and bust in the Internet industry.

Will the FTSE 100 fall?

It always happens this time of year. October has history. The Wall Street crash occurred in October 1929, as did the Black Monday crash in 1987, so investors may be feeling a little nervous.

However, instead of crashing, S&P500 last month it increased by 1.92%, while FTSE100 rose 2.87% to close at 9,717.25. What bubble? What breasts?

Of course it could still come. There is no rule that says markets can’t crash in November, although they have developed a habit of rising in the last two months of the year. With the U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest rates last week and potentially cutting them again on December 10, the bull market could continue for a long time.

The truth is that no one knows. It’s impossible to predict an accident, so ignore those who try. However, there is one thing investors can do. Buy low-cost stocks when this happens.

If there is indeed a sell-off or even a volatility-driven decline, this will be the first stock I check Barclays (LSE:BARC). FTSE 100 bank shares have been on a phenomenal run lately (as well as other major banks). Barclays is up 71% in the last 12 months and 282% in five years. All dividends are at the top.

Like other banks, it had to regain respectability after the financial crisis, but it seems that the task has already been done.

Today, there are more safety barriers and capital requirements are more stringent, but we cannot rule out further problems in this sector.

When concerns emerged last month about the $4.5 trillion U.S. shadow banking system, Barclays shares fell, only to recover as investors concluded there was nothing to come of it for now.

Barclays is growing

Otherwise Lloyds AND NatWestBarclays retained its investment banking division, which gave it access to the lucrative US market. This means it can get warmer in good times but fall faster when investors panic.

It is also exploring other areas. Last Monday (October 27), it obtained an investment banking license in Saudi Arabia, continuing its expansion in the Middle East. On Tuesday, we learned that it is buying the American personal lending platform Best Egg for $800 million.

Its overseas ventures raise risk compared to, say, Lloyds, which is currently purely domestic, but it also increases potential rewards. There is something else to consider. From November 26 in the budget, huge banks may be subject to windfall profits tax.

Long-term perspective

If markets do become volatile, as they inevitably will at some point, Barclays could be hit harder. Investors may consider buying this company at a discounted valuation to hold it for the long term to allow the cycle to return to the upside.

However, with a price-to-earnings ratio of just 11.3, Barclays looks like good value today. It may not be the best solution, but it’s worth considering even if the markets don’t crash. Although investors may want to wait to see what the budget brings.