So far this year, the FTSE 100 has hardly covered itself in glory. Since 30 December 2022, the index has risen by just 1.7%. Over a full year, it’s up by 3.3%, with a five-year gain of 12.7%. Though none of these returns spark joy, they do exclude cash dividends worth another 4% this year.
Across the Atlantic, the US S&P 500 index is having a cracking year. Thanks to the soaring stock prices of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ tech giants, the index has leapt by 22.9% in 2023, 22.5% over one year and a tasty 95.3% over five years.
The FTSE 100’s stars
Although the Footsie has been limping along since its record high of 8,047.06 points on 16 February, some FTSE 100 shares have been thrashing the wider index. For example, these five superstars have seen their share prices soar in the last month.
1. JD Sports
Top of the table is JD Sports Fashion, whose stock just doesn’t seem to stop rising.
Over one month, the shares top the Footsie form table with a leap of 22%. What’s more, they’ve jumped by 45.6% over one year and skyrocketed 141.6% over five years. This just goes to show that some UK retailers continue to defy the cost-of-living crisis and spending slowdown.
2. Ocado
Shares in online supermarket and tech innovator Ocado Group take second place, adding 21.3% in 30 days and up 9.6% over one year.
Unlike JD Sports shares, Ocado stock has been a damp squib over the past half-decade, losing 10.1% of its value. That’s bad news for shareholders who bought in before August 2022, when the share price was so much higher than it stands today.
3. Barratt Developments
Third place and the bronze medal goes to well-known housebuilder Barratt Developments, whose stock stands 19.7% higher than it did a month ago.
After Barratt shares dived due to higher interest rates sending property sales slumping, they’ve staged a comeback. As a result, they’ve added 38.6% over one year and 25% over five. Even so, this stock is well below the £8 mark it traded at in April 2021.
4. Rolls-Royce
Next up is storied engineering firm Rolls-Royce Holdings, whose stock cratered in 2020-21 as Covid-19 battered the airline industry.
Rolls-Royce shares have enjoyed a 19.1% lift in the past month, boosting their return over the past year to a whopping 225.5% — the FTSE 100’s best performer by miles over 12 months. However, thanks to the coronavirus crisis, this stock is up just 3.3% over five years.
5. Sage
In fifth and final place is Sage Group, a leading UK provider of enterprise software to businesses. Its shares have leapt by 18.8% over one month. This lifts their one-year gain to a tidy 49.7%, while they’ve almost doubled over five years, rising 94.1%.
Lastly, the above figures exclude dividends, which further enhance these capital gains. It’s been a good month for shareholders in these five firms. Alas, I’m not in this category.
Finally, would I buy any of these five fliers today? I’ve never had much luck with retail shares, so I’d probably give the first two stocks a miss. However, I do feel that I need more growth and tech companies in my family portfolio, so I’m adding Rolls-Royce and Sage to my watchlist!
