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2020 has been a year of widespread destruction, be it the individual job losses or the large-scale dismantling of businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Starting from laying off the staff to moderating the operative capabilities and shutting down existential divisions, enterprises have incorporated various cost-reduction tactics in the year to sustain their commercial activities intact, maintaining the “going concern” principle.
Market-wide losses
There are various stocks on the London Stock Exchange that have eroded substantial gains in the Covid-19-laden 2020 sell-off, that were amassed in a couple of positive years in the past. The FTSE 100 had surrendered cumulative gains in the March-April period of 2020 with the benchmark index sliding to an eight-and-half year low on 23 March.
The unforeseen contraction in the United Kingdom’s economy in-line with the global rout has had a tragic repercussion on the financial markets. The broader stock indices including FTSE 250, FTSE 350 and FTSE All-Share have followed suit in 2020 registering a decline of up to 12 per cent. As per the historical data of the 12-month stretch, FTSE 100 has shed as much as 13.08 per cent to 6,555.82 (30 December) from a level of 7,542.44 as on 31 December 2019.
Outperformers of 2020!
Interestingly, there are several shares listed on the London Stock Exchange that have risen invariably after touching the Covid-led bottoms in March, during the nine-month period so far. On the last trading session of the London Stock Exchange in 2020, we looked at eight large-cap shares of FTSE 100 that have vastly outperformed the headline index.
The FTSE 100 constituents including Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc (LON: SMT); Ocado Group Plc (LON:OCDO); Fresnillo Plc (LON: FRES); Flutter Entertainment Plc (LON: FLTR); Antofagasta Plc (LON:ANTO); Royal Mail Plc (LON: RMG); Ashtead Group Plc (LON: AHT); and Polymetal International Plc (LON: POLY) have categorically outperformed the key index, gaining up to 110 per cent.
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc
Shares of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc have gained over 100 per cent effectively doubling shareholders’ wealth in 2020, making them the top performers amidst the pack of 101 constituents of FTSE 100. The stock of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc advanced 109.33 per cent to a share price of GBX 1,212 (30 December 2020) from market price level of GBX 579 as on 31 December 2019, the historical trading data on the London Stock Exchange showed.
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Ocado Group Plc
The stock of Hatfield-headquartered supermarket operator Ocado Group Plc has rallied a little over 80 per cent in the year 2020 following a sharp spike in the six-month period between March and September. Ocado Group shares rose as much as 80.30 per cent to GBX 2,306 from a share price level of GBX 1,279 in the similar year-to-date (YTD) stretch.
Ocado Group Plc shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Fresnillo Plc
Shares of the Anglo-Mexican mining firm Fresnillo Plc surged more than 75 per cent in the calendar year 2020. As per the historical data available with the exchange, the stock of Fresnillo amassed a gain of 77.40 per cent to GBX 1,135.50 from a share price level of GBX 640.20 apiece in the last one year.
Fresnillo Plc shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Other FTSE 100 constituents that gained more than 40 per cent include:
Flutter Entertainment Plc shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Antofagasta Plc (LON:ANTO) shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Royal Mail Plc (LON: RMG) shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Ashtead Group Plc (LON: AHT) shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Polymetal International Plc (LON: POLY) shares (YTD)
(Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
