The FTSE 100 may have rebounded over recent weeks following its market crash, but a number of its members appear to offer good value for money at the present time.
Over the long run, they have the potential to deliver improving financial performances that could boost their share prices.
With that in mind, here are two large-cap shares that appear to offer margins of safety. They could be worth buying today and holding over the coming years to improve your chances of retiring early.
BP
FTSE 100 oil and gas company BP (LSE: BP) reported extremely disappointing results in April for the first quarter of the year. Its underlying replacement cost profit declined from $2.4bn to just $0.8bn. As a result, it announced plans this week to reduce the size of its global workforce by around 10,000.
Even though the oil price has recovered in recent weeks, the future for the industry is unclear due to a weak outlook for the global economy. As such, more difficulties could be ahead for industry incumbents.
However, investors appear to have factored in many of the risks facing the business. BP’s share price has declined by 29% since the start of the year, which could suggest that it now offers a wide margin of safety.
With the FTSE 100 company planning to become leaner and more efficient over the medium term, it could improve its competitive position during a challenging period for the sector. Since it has a relatively strong balance sheet and a diverse range of assets, it appears to have the capacity to overcome the difficulties faced by the wider sector in the short run. Therefore, now could be the right time to buy a slice of it as it begins to adapt to changed operating conditions.
FTSE 100 miner BHP
Another FTSE 100 share that could offer long-term growth potential after the recent market crash is BHP (LSE: BHP). The diversified mining company recently reported that its production for the first nine months of the financial year was in line with the previous year. It expects this trend to continue in the latter part of the year so that production is at a similar level as last year.
BHP’s low-cost operations could put it in a position of relative strength should commodity prices come under pressure. Its strong balance sheet may also mean that it can withstand a period of weak demand better than many of its peers. As such, it may emerge from the current crisis in a stronger competitive position relative to many of its rivals.
With the FTSE 100 company’s share price down by 5% since the start of 2020, it appears to offer a margin of safety. It may not prove to be a stable stock in the short run, but it has the capacity to post encouraging gains in the long term.