Here come the FTSE 100 Christmas crackers

As it’s the festive season, it’s also time to start looking back over the year.

And Hargreaves Lansdown has listed its Christmas crackers and turkeys – the best and worst performers in the FTSE 100.

Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst, said: ‘’There has been a cracker of a performance this year from companies which have shared on the spoils of reopening after the pandemic.

“As demand bounced back for commodities and industrial components, chemicals and services, companies like Ashtead, Glencore and Meggitt and Croda International have been pushed to the top of the FTSE 100 leader board this year

“Royal Mail has delivered a box of delights in 2021 as it capitalised on the shift to e-commerce by ramping up parcels deliveries and modernising its infrastructure.

“But investors would have found the performance of some of the pandemic winners hard to swallow this year as some have turned into turkeys in 2021. E-grocer Ocado has delivered a disappointing performance, following a string of setbacks. Bets made on Flutter Entertainment would also have disappointed given its share slide and high hopes of a great travel rebound also evaporated, which has led to British Airways owner, IAG putting in a dismal showing in the share rankings for 2021.”

Among the winners Ashtead Group Plc (LSE:AHT) has added 72% after a recovery in its equipment rental business following a poor 2020 linked to lockdown.

Glencore PLC (LSE:GLEN) has climbed 56%, helped by demand for copper, lithium and cobalt for electric vehicles.

Meggitt PLC (LSE:MGGT) is up 57%, Croda International PLC (LSE:CRDA) has climbed 52% and Royal Mail PLC (LSE:RMG) has risen 55% as demand for parcels continues to grow.

But Ocado Group PLC (LSE:OCDO) has lost 26%, with smaller basket sizes as pandemic restrictions eased, not to mention a fire at its warehouse in Erith.

Flutter Entertainment PLC (LSE:FLTR) has fallen 27%, partly on concerns about tougher rules around gambling in the UK, and International Consolidated Airlines Group (LSE:IAG) is down 18% as travel was hard hit by the pandemic – and continues to be so.