What's worse than a falling FTSE 100 (UKX)?

Owning shares that are falling faster than the blue-chip index!

Here are three large-cap losers from the last seven days.

1. Croda International
Croda International (LSE: CRDA.L) has dropped 8% to 2,315 pence since last Monday, although the specialty chemicals firm has not issued any formal news to shareholders since July.

Simple profit-taking could be one reason for Croda's decline. Even with the recent fall, this share has gained 28% since the start of the year. Loyal investors will not be worrying too much either, as the price has advanced sixfold since late 2008 and elevenfold since early 2003.

July's half-year results showed both earnings and the dividend up 8%.

2. Johnson Matthey
The last seven days have seen the shares of Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT.L) slide 7% to 2,340 pence. Johnson develops catalytic converters and fuel cells and, similar to Croda, has not released any formal news for investors of late.

While Johnson's share price has not risen as far as Croda's this year, the group's investors were rewarded in August by a 100 pence per share special dividend. Indeed, the recent selling seems to contradict Johnson's latest results, which showed underlying profits up 23% and a 20% lift to the ordinary payout.

3. Anglo American
Slipping 7% to 1,798 pence, Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L) has been among the FTSE 100's main losers since this time last week.

The losses could well be due to ongoing industrial unrest at the miner's Anglo American Platinum subsidiary in South Africa. Anglo announced on Friday that it had sacked 12,000 workers involved in a three-week strike action that had so far cost the firm about £50 million in lost production.

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