---
title: "Strong year for UK stocks as FTSE 100 jumps 21.6% and FTSE 250 adds 9%"
publisher: "Share Talk"
author: "sharetalk"
published: "2025-12-31T14:21:10+00:00"
modified: "2025-12-31T14:21:10+00:00"
date: 2025-12-31
canonical: "https://www.share-talk.com/strong-year-for-uk-stocks-as-ftse-100-jumps-21-6-and-ftse-250-adds-9/"
category: "Blogs"
categories: ["Blogs", "Business & Support Services", "Technology", "Technology, Media & Telecoms"]
tags: ["Bank of England", "capex", "china", "chinese", "CME Group exchange", "COMEX", "COPPER", "Crude prices", "Donald Trump", "FTSE 100", "FTSE 250", "Gold", "Inflation", "mid-cap", "refiners", "smelters", "USA"]
image: "https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/dreamstime_l_220888494-scaled-1-2.webp?fit=1200%2C650&quality=80&ssl=1"
format: "news"
language: "en-GB"
---

# Strong year for UK stocks as FTSE 100 jumps 21.6% and FTSE 250 adds 9%

**Published:** December 31, 2025
**Author:** sharetalk
**Categories:** Blogs, Business & Support Services, Technology, Technology, Media & Telecoms
**Tags:** Bank of England, capex, china, chinese, CME Group exchange, COMEX, COPPER, Crude prices, Donald Trump, FTSE 100, FTSE 250, Gold, Inflation, mid-cap, refiners, smelters, USA
**Featured image:** ![](https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/dreamstime_l_220888494-scaled-1-2.webp?fit=1200%2C650&quality=80&ssl=1)

---

Britain’s stock market has chalked up its strongest annual performance since the aftermath of the financial crisis.

The **FTSE 100** closed the final trading session of the year slightly lower, down 9 points, or 0.09%, at 9,931. Despite the modest dip on the day, the blue-chip index delivered a gain of 21.6% over the course of 2025 — its best annual return in 16 years.

The benchmark ended 2025 with a total market capitalisation of around £2.4 trillion, according to data from FTSE Russell.

Mining stocks, defence firms and banks were the standout performers, helping London’s market outpace Wall Street over the year.

Precious metals producer **Fresnillo** was the standout performer on the FTSE 100 in 2025, with its shares surging around **450%** over the year as record highs in gold and silver prices turbocharged earnings expectations.

Rival miner **Endeavour Mining** also enjoyed a stellar run, rising about **170%**, while **Airtel Africa** emerged as the second-best performer in the index overall, with its shares jumping roughly **210%** during the year.

**FTSE 250 rises 9%**

While the FTSE 100 is dominated by multinational companies and is less reflective of the domestic economy, the more UK-focused FTSE 250 provides a clearer gauge of home-grown conditions. That index ended 2025 with a solid gain of around 9%, underscoring a broadly positive year for UK equities despite ongoing economic headwinds.

Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said the FTSE 100 “has had precisely the right ingredients desired by investors in a year full of political, trade and market uncertainty”.

He added:

> “This year’s success for the blue-chip index is not a flash in the pan.
>
> “The FTSE 100 has delivered positive returns in eight of the past 10 years, averaging 9.1% annually over that period including dividends.
>
> “This kind of performance reinforces the attraction of investing over the long term.
>
> “There may be years when performance disappoints, but history suggests it’s worth pursuing.”

---

**Original URL:** https://www.share-talk.com/strong-year-for-uk-stocks-as-ftse-100-jumps-21-6-and-ftse-250-adds-9/
*Created by [WP Markdown Endpoint](https://wpmarkdownendpoint.com/)*