FTSE 100 winners – Metals, minerals, pharma and food making

The current pandemic has caused problems for businesses in a multitude of sectors, with big high street names including Debenhams, Carluccio’s, Brighthouse, Chiquito, Laura Ashley and Flybe having already gone into administration.

Gatwick Airport, Rolls-Royce, Cairn Energy and Finsbury Food Group are also feeling the pinch but peer to peer lender, Sourced Capital, has looked at which FTSE 100 companies are actually benefiting in the current climate.

Leisure and travel company Carnival has predictably seen the biggest decline in share price over the last three months, down -73.95%.

Energy and service provider Centrica (-67.23%), Melrose Industries (-65.185), International Consolidated Airlines (-64.83%), easyJet (-60.79%) and aerospace and defence engineering specialists Meggit (-60.03%) have also seen their share prices decline by more than 60% in just three months.

Rolls Royce, RBS, ITV and M&G also sit in the top 10 largest FTSE 100 losses since the pandemic began.

But it’s not all doom and gloom and while the pandemic has hit some companies harder than most, there are some who have seen their share price climb over the last three months.

The top of the table is the precious metals mining group, Polymetal, with an increase of 51.43%.

With many of us unable or cautious about heading outside to the supermarket, online grocery retailer Ocado has seen its share price lift 20.99%. Hikma Pharmaceuticals has enjoyed an increase of 19.37%, while Fresnillo, a holding company engaged in the mining of beneficiation of non-ferrous minerals and the sale of related products, has seen an increase of 19.37%.

AstraZeneca’s share price is up 4.90% while the takeaway boom since restaurants have shut their doors has seen JustEat’s share price increase 3.66% in the last three months.

Reckitt Benckiser, a manufacturer and marketer of health, hygiene, post-natal, and home products has also seen an increase (+1.61%) along with global sports betting and gaming giant Flutter Entertainment seeing a marginal increase of 0.14%.

Founder and Managing Director of Sourced Capital, Stephen Moss, commented:

“Metals, minerals, pharma and food seem to be the safest bets when investing in the current landscape while leisure, travel and transport, in particular, are the sectors to steer clear of.

When investing in any market conditions, the key to success is to spread your bets across a variety of sectors and stocks and as this research shows, even in a global crisis there is a return to be had with the right investment.

Hopefully, we won’t see the list of big name casualties continue to grow any further but it could be some time before the worst hit who remain with their heads above water return to pre-pandemic strength.”

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