The calendar year 2018 was full of ups and downs for the Indian stock market investors. While Sensex made its all-time high in August 2018, the net return in this year is still just 4.90% (YTD). Sensex started with 33,812 points in January 2018 and as of December 2018, it is currently hovering around 35,470 points.
On the other hand, if we look into the NSE benchmark index Nifty 50, it started at 10,435 points in January 2018 and currently trading at 10,663 points, with an overall return of merely 2.18% this year.
If we compare the returns on Nifty in 2018 with that of last year (2017- when it gave a return of around 28.6%), we can easily notice that the index has comparatively underperformed in 2018. Nonetheless, ups and downs are the characteristics of the market and the stock market investors should be not be haunted by it.
As the year 2018 is fastly approaching to its end, we performed a short analysis to find the winning and losing stocks of 2018. Here is a list of 20 large cap companies in India with a market capitalization greater than Rs 100 Billion, which either grew over +30% or fell over -35% within the year 2018.
If you are interested in large-cap companies, this list might give you a rough idea of the stocks that you missed or can add in your watchlist for the upcoming year.
Top 20 Wealth CREATORS of 2018
| S. No | Name | Symbol | Industry | Last Price | Market Cap | 1-Yr Chg (%) |
| 1 | HEG | HEGL | Electronic Instr. & Controls | 3675.35 | 155.86B | 83.82 |
| 2 | L&T Technology Services | LTEH | Construction Services | 1687.05 | 171.74B | 71.22 |
| 3 | Larsen & Toubro Infotech | LRTI | Software & Programming | 1695 | 291.26B | 57.67 |
| 4 | Adani Enterprises | ADEL | Coal | 158.55 | 175.67B | 53.92 |
| 5 | Bata India | BATA | Footwear | 1109 | 144.13B | 47.74 |
| 6 | Tata Consultancy | TCS | Software & Programming | 1918.5 | 7130.75B | 44.97 |
| 7 | Bajaj Finance | BJFN | Consumer Financial Services | 2564.9 | 1497.28B | 43.9 |
| 8 | Tech Mahindra | TEML | Software & Programming | 697.9 | 684.05B | 41.43 |
| 9 | Indiabulls Ventures | INDB | Investment Services | 379.85 | 235.61B | 41.22 |
| 10 | MindTree | MINT | Computer Services | 837.7 | 139.19B | 39.69 |
| 11 | Nestle India | NEST | Food Processing | 10923.35 | 1064.11B | 38.56 |
| 12 | Mphasis | MBFL | Software & Programming | 1018.15 | 187.77B | 38.52 |
| 13 | Jubilant Foodworks | JUBI | Restaurants | 1218.95 | 173.76B | 38.14 |
| 14 | Abbott India | ABOT | Biotechnology & Drugs | 7466.25 | 157.83B | 34.82 |
| 15 | Avenue Supermarts | AVEU | Retail (Grocery) | 1545.75 | 1031.01B | 34.28 |
| 16 | Ipca Laboratories | IPCA | Biotechnology & Drugs | 801.85 | 101.97B | 33.6 |
| 17 | Divi’s Labs | DIVI | Biotechnology & Drugs | 1447.15 | 392.45B | 32.77 |
| 18 | Hindustan Unilever | HLL | Personal & Household Prods. | 1784.65 | 4009.29B | 31.56 |
| 19 | Adani Power | ADAN | Electric Utilities | 50.8 | 194.66B | 31.27 |
| 20 | Britannia Industries | BRIT | Food Processing | 3100.55 | 751.53B | 30.64 |
HEG was the biggest wealth creator in the large-cap segment this year. This stock gave a return of over 83% in 2018. Currently, HEG is trading at a share price of Rs 3,675. Surprisingly, this stock was also one of the biggest winners in 2017. (Quick Note: The stock of HEG was hovering at just Rs 160 during the start of January 2017).
Next, L&T Technology services (+71%) and Infotech (+57%) –both have performed well followed by Adani Enterprises and Bata India. TCS has also given a return of over 44% this year.
A few other popular winners in this list are Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, India bull ventures, MindTree, NESTLE and Avenue Supermart (DMart).
Top 20 Wealth Destroyers of 2018
| S. No | Name | Symbol | Industry | Last Price | Market Cap | 1-Yr Chg (%) |
| 1 | Vodafone Idea | VODA | Communications Services | 37.35 | 335.36B | -62.89 |
| 2 | Tata Motors DV Ltd | TAMdv | Auto & Truck Manufacturers | 94.15 | 559.20B | -60.83 |
| 3 | Tata Motors | TAMO | Auto & Truck Manufacturers | 172.5 | 559.20B | -59.12 |
| 4 | NBCC India | NBCC | Construction Services | 54.15 | 100.86B | -57.36 |
| 5 | Motherson Sumi Systems | MOSS | Auto & Truck Parts | 161.55 | 534.49B | -57.13 |
| 6 | Punjab National Bank | PNBK | Regional Banks | 76.7 | 284.07B | -56.41 |
| 7 | CBI | CBI | Regional Banks | 35.15 | 106.22B | -53.54 |
| 8 | Bharat Electronics | BAJE | Aerospace & Defense | 87.95 | 215.91B | -53.34 |
| 9 | Aditya Birla Capital | ADTB | Consumer Financial Services | 97.05 | 216.36B | -48.12 |
| 10 | Mangalore | MRPL | Oil & Gas Operations | 72.8 | 131.23B | -43.24 |
| 11 | Hindustan Petroleum | HPCL | Oil & Gas Operations | 246.3 | 381.94B | -42.63 |
| 12 | Sun TV Network Ltd | SUTV | Broadcasting & Cable TV | 576.95 | 233.42B | -42.28 |
| 13 | Bharti Airtel | BRTI | Communications Services | 309.1 | 1233.18B | -41.52 |
| 14 | Yes Bank | YESB | Regional Banks | 182.3 | 424.05B | -41.22 |
| 15 | Bank of India | BOI | Regional Banks | 100.9 | 171.04B | -41.05 |
| 16 | New India Assurance | THEE | Insurance (Miscellaneous) | 183.9 | 306.93B | -40.15 |
| 17 | Steel Authority | SAIL | Iron & Steel | 51.95 | 218.50B | -39.2 |
| 18 | Indian Bank | INBA | Regional Banks | 238.4 | 115.26B | -39.15 |
| 19 | Emami | EMAM | Personal & Household Prods. | 401.85 | 187.63B | -38.67 |
| 20 | Vedanta | VDAN | Metal Mining | 196.4 | 745.40B | -37.96 |
Interestingly, Vodafone Idea is the biggest loser in this list and has lost a market price of over 62% in this year. The stock was trading at a market price of Rs 104.60 at the start of the year, and currently, its share price is fluctuating at Rs 37.35.
Tata Motors is yet another beaten company on the street. Both fully paid ordinary shares and DVR are down by around 60% in this year. This stock is continuously declining for around two years, since it made its high of Rs 578.70 in September 2016. Currently, Tata motors ordinary shares are trading at a price of Rs 172.5.
A few of the other popular losing stocks in this list are NBCC, Motherson Sumi Systems, PNB, CBI, Bharat Electronics, Aditya Birla Capital, Mangalore Petronet, HPCL, Bharti Airtel and YES BANK.
Also read:
- 10 Best Blue Chip Companies in India that You Should Know.
- Case Study: Tata Motors Vs Maruti Suzuki
- Is it a Good Strategy to Buy One Stock of Infosys, HUL & HDFC Bank Per Month?
Closing Thoughts
Although it’s good to monitor the yearly returns of the companies, however, looking at the performance of stocks just for a year is not enough. It is the long-term returns of the stocks that matter the most for the wealth creation of shareholders.
Besides, a lot many big companies on the list are trading at a decent discount currently. Whether the losing companies mentioned above will continue to decline further or bounce back will depend on their future performances.
The share investors should consider these as opportunities to invest in amazing businesses at a fair value. Happy Investing.
Disclaimer: The stocks listed in this post should not be considered as recommendations. Please study the companies carefully or take the help of a financial advisor before investing.
