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The FTSE 100 crossed the long-awaited 10,000 mark as markets opened on Friday for the first day of trading in 2026.
London’s blue-chip index climbed 0.7 per cent early on in the session to 10,003.68 after finishing its final day of 2025 just over 0.5 per cent away from the milestone.
“It’s time to break out the champagne as UK stock markets have delivered a New Year’s treat,” Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell., said.
The index was boosted by rallies across a series of heavyweights. Gold miner Fresnillo, which was the best blue-chip performer of 2025 with a rally of over 400 per cent, topped the risers with its valuation rising nearly four per cent.
Meanwhile, FTSE darling Rolls-Royce jumped some 3.5 per cent to 1,190p.
Luxury fashion label Burberry also edged up roughly two per cent, whilst the world’s largest sports betting firm Entain climbed as much as 2.6 per cent.
Of the fallers, British American Tobacco slumped over two per cent to 4,127p, whilst Smith and Nephew and British Land edged slightly down on soft house price data published on Friday morning, with losses of under one per cent.
FTSE 100 sealed 41 record closes in 2025
The FTSE 100 closed 2025 at 9,923.06, with a rise of over 20 per cent. The index closed on record highs on 41 different trading sessions throughout the year.
“So much for the UK being the home for old economy companies – the FTSE 100 has had precisely the ingredients desired by investors in a year full of political, trade and market uncertainty,” said Coatsworth.
But despite a glowing year for UK equities, not all shares enjoyed the rally.
Coatsworth said it is “somewhat ironic” that the country’s leading stock exchange operator was one of the FTSE 100’s worst performers in a “fantastic year” for UK shares.
Despite a minor spurt in December, the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has tumbled 22 per cent over the last 12 months.
Advertising giant WPP has suffered a significant downturn after being forced to slash its outlook amid rising competition.
The firm’s stock fell by nearly 60 per cent in 2025 and was demoted from the FTSE 100 in December’s reshuffle.
