IAG, Rolls-Royce and Natwest: The FTSE 100’s winners of 2024
The FTSE 100 returned 5.8 per cent in 2024, but under the surface, a clear gap has emerged between the blue-chip index’s winners and losers.
Quite a few stocks have fallen out of London’s main index, with companies like Burberry and Ocado being replaced by giants like Games Workshop and Alliance Witan.
While around half of the index has produced a double-digit return, with eighteen growing more than 30 per cent, there have been some clear winners.
The best-performing FTSE 100 stocks of 2024
The best-performing FTSE 100 stock in 2024 was British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines, which almost doubled in value during the year.
The airline embarked on a £7bn transformation plan this year, with analysts confident it will pay off over the coming years.
Rolls-Royce followed close behind, adding more than 90 per cent throughout 2024. The Derby-headquartered giant benefitted from a recovery in the aviation sector and growing interest in nuclear power.
Over the past two years, Rolls-Royce has returned more than 500 per cent.
Natwest was the third best-performing stock on the FTSE 100, growing more than 80 per cent.
A strong set of results assisted the Big Four bank in October when it reported a 26 per cent jump in third quarter profit.
Barclays stock hit a nine-year high in October, thanks to high profit from its investment banking arm and a resilient performance from Barclays’ UK bank.
| FTSE 100 stock | Returns (per cent) |
| International Consolidated Airlines | 93.5 |
| Rolls-Royce | 90.7 |
| Natwest | 80.5 |
| DS Smith | 77 |
| Barclays | 72.7 |
The worst-performing FTSE 100 stocks of the year
Looking at the worst-performing stocks of the year, two retailers took the trophy, with JD Sports losing more than 40 per cent of its value.
“JD Sports started the year with a profit warning caused by mild weather and heavy discounting affecting pre-Christmas 2023 sales,” said AJ Bell analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“The share price took a beating and only started to recover in earnest during the summer. The retailer was subsequently knocked for six by more weather problems and complaints that the US election hurt demand.”
Meanwhile, B&M has struggled to bring good results to the market, while founder Bobby Arora has said he is stepping away from the firm in 2025.
| FTSE 100 stock | Returns (per cent) |
| JD Sports | -40.3 |
| B&M | -34.5 |
| Vistry | -38.4 |
| Spirax | -32.9 |
| Croda | -31.7 |