London's premier stock index, the FTSE 100, has finally smashed through the symbolic 10,000-point barrier. The historic moment occurred as markets opened on Friday, 2 January 2026, marking a powerful start to the new year's trading.
A Milestone Opening for 2026
The blue-chip index climbed 0.7 per cent in early trading to reach 10,003.68. This surge followed a strong finish to 2025, where the index closed at 9,923.06 – just over 0.5 per cent shy of the coveted 10,000 mark. The breakthrough was fuelled by significant rallies across several of the index's heavyweight constituents.
Leading the charge was gold and silver miner Fresnillo, which saw its valuation jump by nearly four per cent. The company was already the FTSE 100's star performer of 2025, having rallied by an astonishing over 400 per cent throughout the year. Aerospace and engineering giant Rolls-Royce also provided a major boost, with its shares jumping approximately 3.5 per cent to 1,190p.
Winners and Losers in the New Year Surge
The positive sentiment extended to other sectors. Luxury fashion house Burberry edged up around two per cent, while gambling firm Entain, the world's largest sports betting company, climbed as much as 2.6 per cent. However, not all shares participated in the rally. British American Tobacco was a notable faller, slumping over two per cent to 4,127p. Property developer British Land and medical technology firm Smith and Nephew also saw minor declines of under one per cent, reacting to soft house price data published on Friday morning.
Reflecting on a Record-Breaking 2025
The milestone follows an exceptionally strong year for the UK's leading share index. In 2025, the FTSE 100 rose by over 20 per cent and sealed a remarkable 41 record closes on different trading sessions. Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, commented on the index's performance, stating, "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."
Despite the overall bullish trend, the year was not kind to all. Coatsworth pointed out the irony that the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) was one of the index's worst performers in a "fantastic year" for UK shares, tumbling 22 per cent over the last 12 months. Advertising behemoth WPP suffered an even steeper decline, with its stock falling nearly 60 per cent in 2025, leading to its demotion from the FTSE 100 in December's quarterly reshuffle.
The breach of the 10,000 level provides a significant psychological boost for investors and marks a key moment for London's financial markets as they navigate the economic landscape of 2026.
