GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (GSK), Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) (VOD) & More: Will This Trio Push the FTSE 100 to Record Highs?

LONDON — Shares of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (LON:GSK) have performed well in the last month. While the FTSE 100 is down 1.5%, Glaxo is up 4.5%. Since the beginning of the year, Glaxo shares are up 16.3%. That’s a stonking performance for such a large company.

According to analyst forecasts, the shares are expected to pay 77.6 pence of dividends for the year. At today’s price, that equates to a yield of 5%.

The average FTSE 100 company trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio around 15.2 times forecast earnings. Sitting on a P/E today of 13.3, Glaxo is trading at a significant discount. That seems unfair for such a successful and reliable company.

HSBC Holdings plc (ADR) (NYSE:HBC)
At current prices, HSBC makes up 7.8% of the FTSE 100. It shares have the most influence on the FTSE 100.

The banking giant currently trades on just 10.7 times consensus forecasts for 2013. Considering the resilience that HSBC has demonstrated during an industry crisis, that’s pretty mean.

There is no escaping the fact that bank shares remain very unpopular. However, I am beginning to see signs that politicians are tiring of banker bashing. The media is also starting to move on, as writers run out of new angles on old stories.

HSBC is forecast to grow earnings next year, putting the shares on a 2014 P/E of 9.4, with a prospective yield of 5.3%.

Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) (NASDAQ:VOD)
Recent speculation over the future of Vodafone‘s U.S. mobile investment in Verizon Wireless has pushed the shares to their highest level since 2007.

Making up almost 6% of the FTSE 100 by itself, the market’s recent setback would have been more painful for index investors without the telecom giant’s recent rally.