From tech to transport: the winning and losing stocks in 2020 | Business

The Leaders

Never has the ability to sell to a captive audience been more rewarding than in this year of lockdowns. With people ordered to stay at home to prevent the coronavirus pandemic becoming an even greater health disaster, many companies have been stymied, unable to deal with customers or to make any money — but not so those once considered digital upstarts to the established bricks-and-mortar heavyweights. As physical doors have been closed, online rivals’ portals have been busier than ever. That, in turn, has attracted the interest of investors and propelled those businesses up the stock market’s leaderboard.

AO World, the online seller of electricals and white goods, topped the list as its shares surged by 355 per cent during 2020. Over