When hunting for the best shares to buy, I almost always start my search among the biggest losers. Why? Because the biggest bargains are often where most investors have stopped looking. And despite the FTSE 100 reaching a new record high this year, there are still plenty of UK shares that were left behind.
Two of the biggest losers from the UK’s flagship index since 2025 kicked off include WPP (LSE:WPP), and B&M European Value Retail (LSE:BME), which are down 50% and 35%, respectively. So, what’s behind the decline? And has a buying opportunity subsequently emerged?
Investigating problems
Let’s start with the marketing titan, WPP. The firm has suffered a dramatic decline since the start of the year following a series of profit warnings. It seems that clients have drastically begun cutting their advertising budgets in the backdrop of tough economic conditions.
What’s worse, the impact of this is expected to only be exacerbated over time if US tariffs create a new headwind for America’s economy. Don’t forget, almost half of WPP’s operating profits come from across the pond. As such, the company has and is expected to continue struggling in maintaining existing customer spend, let alone attracting new spend. It may be one to consider leaving on the shelf.
What about B&M? Following its latest disappointing quarterly results, the stock is now trading near an all-time low. Despite delivering growth in the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year (ending in March), the underlying performance metrics were well below already modest expectations.
Weakness among its core target customer base, combined with rising competition from other discount retailers, has resulted in multiple profit warnings, the second of which saw CEO Alex Russo depart from the company. Tjeerd Jegen has since taken over in mid-June to try and turn things around.
Potential bargains?
WPP’s recent problems are understandably frustrating, especially since they’re largely caused by external factors rather than internal mistakes. When looking to the horizon, a recovery could begin to emerge as marketing spending gradually bounces back both in and outside of the US. And with management implementing new cost disciplines, the firm could emerge from this storm with improved margins.
Having said that, there’s a growing question about WPP’s longevity given the brewing concerns that AI might be disrupting its business model as companies bring marketing efforts in-house. That’s why B&M looks like a more interesting opportunity to me right now.
The company is far from having a perfect position. But if Tjeerd Jegen can successfully execute a turnaround strategy, the stock’s tiny forward price-to-earnings ratio of 7.5 suggests significant growth potential. And it’s worth mentioning that Jegen has put around £400,000 of his own wealth into the business by buying shares – a signal of confidence.
It’s too early to tell whether Jegen will succeed. However, there are some signs of hope, given that gross margins are still expanding. The firm’s recent supply chain investments could bolster profitability even further. That’s why, at today’s price, investors may want to take a closer look at this discount retailer.
