FTSE 100 Index Records Best Year Since 2009 in 2025
The FTSE 100 closed 2025 up 21.5%, marking its best performance since 2009. The broader all-share index saw an increase of about 19.75% during the year.
Significant gains were led by companies such as Fresnillo, which surged approximately 450%, Endeavour Mining up 170%, and Airtel Africa rising about 210%. Defence stocks also performed strongly, boosted by increased European spending, with Babcock International climbing around 150% and Rolls-Royce doubling in value.
However, some FTSE 100 stocks declined, with Bunzl and Diageo falling roughly 33% each. Globally, equities rose about 21%, while the Stoxx 600 posted a 17% gain, its best year since 2021.
The year experienced volatility including a sharp correction in January when the Chinese chatbot DeepSeek wiped approximately $1 trillion from US tech stocks. Additionally, April tariffs on trading partners caused about a 10% drop in the FTSE 100 by mid-April before stabilizing.
In currency markets, the US dollar weakened about 9% during 2025. Despite this, US stocks rose about 17%, with notable increases from Alphabet (+65%), Meta (+13%), and Amazon (+6%).
Commodities also saw significant movements, with gold rising about 65% in 2025, its best showing since 1979.
