With FTSE 100 shares near all-time highs, the last few years have been phenomenal for many UK investors. But sadly, not all stocks have joined in on the party, with several popular picks falling hard and fast.

Two perfect examples of this are Ocado (LSE:OCDO) and Vistry (LSE:VTY). Both businesses have seen their market-caps get wiped out over the last few years, and even in the last 12 months, the share prices have fallen by another 42% and 59% respectively. What on earth happened?

Ocado’s technology gamble stumbles

Ocado built its reputation on selling robotic warehouse technology to grocery retailers around the world, not just running its own online supermarket. The pitch was simple: build the warehouses, sign up big partners, and collect fees for years to come.

The problem is that several of those partners have now pulled back. Kroger in the US slowed its rollout of new warehouses, and Canadian partner Sobeys shut down a planned site entirely, both of which hit the pace of new deals Ocado depends on for growth.

That’s left Ocado’s technology arm shrinking rather than growing, with underlying sales in this division actually falling in the first half of 2026. So is there anything to like here at all?

Encouragingly, its legacy retail side of the business, run in partnership with Marks & Spencer, continues to perform well. And management still expects to turn cash flow positive later this year. But with new technology deals proving hard to come by and existing partners scaling back, the bear case remains firmly in control for now.

Vistry’s costly building blunder

Vistry’s troubles started differently. Back in 2024, the housebuilder admitted it had badly underestimated building costs on several sites to the tune of over £100m, wiping out years of expected profit in one announcement.

That kind of mistake destroys trust fast, and investors have been punishing the stock ever since. This July’s trading update didn’t help either, with the company now expecting to post a loss for the first half of 2026.

Management insists the worst is behind it, pointing to a strong £3.9bn order book and plans to sharply improve profits in the second half of the year. But after multiple broken promises, that’s a tough sell.

Worth a punt on recovery?

Both businesses do have genuine turnaround stories worth watching. Ocado’s retail partnership keeps delivering, and with exclusivity conditions on its robotics technology now eliminated, management has far more freedom to approach new clients.

At the same time, Vistry’s order book suggests demand for new homes hasn’t gone away. And with the UK government pledging to deliver the biggest social housebuilding programme since the post-war period, Vistry could have a powerful new tailwind that it can aim to capitalise on.

However, with so many outstanding issues still unresolved at both companies, these aren’t stocks I’m rushing to buy today. Instead, I’ve got my eye on another group of FTSE shares that look far more promising…

Should you invest £5,000 in Ocado Group Plc right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.

And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Ocado Group Plc made the list?

Zaven Boyrazian does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.