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Highlights
- Various large-cap and blue-chip stocks are traded on the London Stock Exchange.
- The total market cap of all the companies trading on the LSE stood at US$52.92 billion as of December 2021.
The UK economy is one of the largest economies worldwide and numerous large-cap and blue-chip stocks in the UK are traded on the London Stock Exchange publicly. Many of these companies are constituents of the FTSE 100 index, which comprises of the 100 largest public companies in the UK with the highest market caps. The total market cap of all the companies trading on the LSE stood at US $52.92 billion as of March 2021.
Amid the pandemic, investing in stocks saw many ups and downs because of the volatile market. Most investors have been juggling between stocks as the markets reacted to different changes in the global economy. Some major issues that surfaced this year and affected the stock market were supply chain blockages and disruptions, rising inflation, looming energy crisis, and fluctuating cryptocurrencies, and others.
Let’s take a look at the largest companies trading on the LSE at present, which more or less did well this year.
RELATED READ: Eyes on 2022: Which FTSE100 stocks should you invest in?
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AstraZeneca plc (LON: AZN)
Leading UK-based pharma and biotech company AstraZeneca plc is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. The market cap of the company stood at £133,398.08 million as of 22 December 2021. It has given a return of 16.54% to its shareholders in the last one year and its year-to-date returns stood at 18.73% as of 30 December 2021. AstraZeneca plc’s shares were trading at GBX 8,696.00, down by 0.47%, at 12 PM (GMT) on 30 December 2021.
Unilever plc (LON: ULVR)
Unilever plc holds a position among the biggest manufacturing firms in the UK which supplies consumer goods including nutrition and personal care products. The market cap of the FTSE100-listed company stood at £ 102,175.95 million as of 30 December 2021. It has given a return of -10.96% to its shareholders in the last one year and its year-to-date returns stand at -9.56% as of 30 December 2021. Unilever plc’s shares were trading at GBX 3,972.00, by 0.03%, at 12:00 PM (GMT) on 30 December 2021.
Diageo plc (LON: DGE)
UK-based multinational beverage alcohol firm, Diageo plc, is one of the largest distillers across the globe. The market cap of the FTSE100-listed company stood at £ 93,441.84 million as of 30 December 2021. It has given a return of 33.92% to its shareholders in the last one year and its year-to-date returns stood at 41.70% as of 30 December 2021.
Diageo plc’s shares were trading at GBX 4,077.00, down by 0.43%, at 12 PM (GMT) on 30 December 2021.
RELATED READ: FTSE 100 value destructors: 4 large-cap shares plunge 25-50% in 2021
Royal Dutch Shell Plc (LON: RDSA)
Generally referred to as Shell, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, is a leading global oil and gas company headquartered in the Hague. The market cap of the FTSE100-listed company stood at £66,382.66 million as of 22 December 2021. It has given a return of 22.74% to its shareholders in the last one year and its YTD return stands at 25.67% as of 30 December 2021. Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s shares were trading at GBX 1,631.40, up by 0.12%, at 12 PM (GMT) on 30 December 2021.
BHP Group PLC (LON: BHP)
Global natural resources firm, BHP Group PLC, produces and processes iron ore, metallurgical coal, and copper. The market cap of the FTSE100-listed company stood at £46,022.04 million as of 30 December 2021. It has given a return of 12.55% to its shareholders in the last one year and its year-to-date returns stand at 15.40% as of 30 December 2021. BHP Group PLC’s shares were trading at GBX 2,221.50, up by 0.63%, at 12 PM (GMT) on 30 December 2021.
