By Samuel Indyk
Investing.com – As the first half of the year has drawn to a close, a number of key themes were observed in the stock market over the first six months of the year. The FTSE 100 managed to gain 10.9% amid hopes that the economic recovery will continue into the second half.
Some of the best performers since the start of the pandemic struggled while others went from strength to strength, depending on the industry.
At the top of the pile was Royal Mail (LON:RMG). The delivery company gained 71% in the first half of the year as it continues to benefit from an increase in online deliveries brought on at the start of the pandemic.
Kingfisher (LON:KGF) is another pandemic winner. The company rose 34.8% in the first six months of the year as UK consumers use their savings for home improvements and gardening equipment.
Other top performers come from the mining sector as commodity prices soared. Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) increased 32.8% during H1 while EVRAZ (LON:EVRE) shares jumped 25.5% over the same period.
The lower end of the blue-chip index also included a number of names that had performed well at the start of the pandemic.
“The bottom end of the FTSE 100 performance table is a bit of a mishmash of lockdown winners that have come off the boil, and more cyclical names that have failed to ignite demand, despite hopes for a global economic recovery,” said AJ Bell Financial Analyst Laith Khalaf.
Precious metals producer Fresnillo (LON:FRES) saw its shares decline 31.7% during the first six months of the year, despite all the hysteria on Reddit forums about the “silver squeeze” during the start of the year.
Tesco (LON:TSCO) (-23.9%) and Ocado (LON:OCDO) (-12.4%) were both in the bottom 10 as UK consumers made the most of reopened hospitality.
Rolls-Royce (LON:RR) was also in the bottom 10, with shares falling 11.1% during the period. The troubled jet engine manufacturer relies on airlines clocking up the air miles for its revenue but with international travel still very much grounded, Rolls-Royce has struggled to join the FTSE rally.