FTSE 100 Surpasses 10,000 for the First Time on New Year's Day
On the first trading day of the year, the FTSE 100 index rose above 10,000 for the first time in its history.
The index is now more than 21% higher than it was a year ago, when it stood just over 8,260.
The FTSE 100 tracks the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange but is not a direct measure of the UK economy due to its international exposure.
Miners such as Antofagasta and Rio Tinto boosted the index, alongside sectors including defense firms BAE Systems, Babcock, and Rolls-Royce, as well as major banks Lloyds, Barclays, Standard Chartered, and HSBC.
Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, described this milestone as historic and suggested that 2026 could be among the most significant years for the blue-chip index since its 1984 launch.
The crossing of 10,000 was noted as a favorable development for Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
The report indicates this achievement demonstrates the potential of investing in UK shares and argues that the UK market can outperform or keep pace with the US market.
