Are these shares a bargain…again?

A 1,000-point plunge in the value of the FTSE 100 index has been painful for many investors, and it may be some time before we're back above 7,000. Thankfully, most of those smart enough to pile into equities following the 2007-09 financial crash will still be sitting on fat profits. But not all. We received a tongue-in-cheek email from Deutsche Bank pointing out a few companies available once again at that "once in a generation" post-crisis low.

According to the broker, 5% of the Bloomberg world equity index is now trading below March 2009 levels. "Have another crack at BHP Billiton or BP if you fancy commodities - now 2% and 20% cheaper respectively," says Deutsche. "Not scared of the disruption from discounters? Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Woolworths are also below March 2009 levels.

"Even more tempting, these lower-than-the-last-low companies now trade at half the price/earnings multiple of the market. Back then they were at double. Once in a generation be damned!"

DB makes a fair point. March 2009 was not the nadir for all stocks, and this so-called second-chance to buy certain shares for those who missed out six and half years ago is misleading.

It has, however, got us thinking. Thumbing through the history books, we looked for those FTSE 350 companies now trading lower than they were on 9 March 2009 when the index bottomed out at 1,798. It's now 3,394.

There are 25 in all. We've listed 10 of them here in this rogues gallery.

(Source: Sharepad.co.uk)

At the other end of the spectrum are 207 companies which have at least doubled in value since the dark days of 2009. Howden is up more than 40-fold.

(Source: Sharepad.co.uk)

This article is for information and discussion purposes only and does not form a recommendation to invest or otherwise. The value of an investment may fall. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.