London’s leading stock index, the FTSE 100, crossed the 10,000-point mark for the first time on Friday, continuing the strong momentum recorded last year.
At the start of trading on the first business day of 2026, the benchmark index, which includes major firms such as BP, Vodafone and HSBC, rose by 1.0 per cent to a record high of 10,033.75 points.
The FTSE 100 gained more than 21 per cent in 2025, marking its strongest annual performance in 16 years. The rally was largely driven by cuts in British interest rates, alongside reductions in borrowing costs by the United States Federal Reserve, as global inflation pressures eased.
A key driver of Friday’s record was another sharp rise in the share price of gold miner Fresnillo. The company’s stock surged by 436 per cent last year, supported by repeated record highs in global gold prices.
Stock markets worldwide also reached historic levels last year, pushing many indices to double-digit gains throughout 2025.
