Sharesight users' top 20 trades in LSE stocks for 2022

Each year, Sharesight looks back at the top 20 buy and sell trades made by Sharesight users throughout the year. Welcome to the 2022 edition of our annual trading snapshot, where for the first time, we explore the top trades users made in stocks on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), plus the market-moving news behind some of these stocks.

Top 20 LSE stocks traded in 2022

In this annual snapshot, trades were led by British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS), which saw its share price skyrocket at the beginning of 2022, remaining fairly steady throughout the rest of the year. Trades were followed by Reckitt Benckiser Group (LSE: RKT), which saw its share price fluctuate throughout the year, ultimately ending the year down over 6% (as at the time of publishing). It was a varied year overall, with the top trades spanning the consumer goods, biopharma, financial services, mining and metals, oil and gas, telecommunications and aerospace sectors.

Let’s look at the news behind some of the key stocks in this year’s snapshot:

British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS)

• February: Vapes and heated tobacco responsible for BAT’s strong 2021 sales
• March: BAT scales down Russian operations
• July: BAT loses £957 million from Russia exit
• November: Invests in US CBD specialist Charlotte’s Web
• December: Expects 2-4% FY sales growth due to strong sales of e-cigarettes

Reckitt Benckiser Group (LSE: RKT)

• April: Reckitt beats Q1 revenue estimates due to pricing hikes
• July: Reckitt raises sales forecast as consumers absorb higher prices
• September: Reckitt CEO steps down
• October: Expects Q3 sales slow down as consumers continue to absorb price hikes

GSK (LSE: GSK)

• February: GSK and Sanofi seek approval for new COVID vaccine to prevent severe cases
• July: GSK spins off consumer health business Haleon
• September: WHO awards prequalification to GSK’s malaria vaccine
• December: Shares surge as US judge rejects Zantac cancer claims

ASOS (LSE: ASC)

• January: ASOS moves listing to London’s main stock market
• June: ASOS share price plummets to multi-year low
• October: Share price rises 10% following full-year results
• December: Interim CEO Katy Mecklenburgh to step down

Legal & General Group (LSE: LGEN)

• March: Legal & General records 11% jump in annual operating profit
• May: Forms US$4 billion partnership with Ancora in science and tech space
• October: Legal & General reassures investors amid pension fund volatility
• November: Loses £10 million in pension market volatility

Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY)

• February: Lloyds completes £390 million acquisition of Embark Group
• March: Plans to close 60 branches across the UK
• October: Lloyds share price drops ahead of windfall tax
• November: Share price rises as bank profit surcharge is cut to 3%

Unilever (LSE: ULVR)

• January: Unilever makes three bids for GSK’s consumer goods division
• May: Share price rises as billionaire investor Nelson Peltz joins Unilever board
• September: Unilever CEO Alan Jope announces plan to retire next year
• October: Nineteen Unilever products recalled due to presence of cancer-causing chemical

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FURTHER READING

• Subscribe to Sharesight20 trading snapshots
• How Sharesight calculates your investment performance
• Sharesight users' top 20 trades in US stocks for 2022