FTSE 100 jumps on first day of 2025 trading

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

The FTSE 100 surged on its first trading day of the year, fuelling hopes that the blue-chip index will bounce back after a disappointing 2024.

London’s premier stock market rose 87.07 points, or 1.07%, to end the day at 8,260.09.

Shares in mining companies rose sharply, with Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo among the top risers.

The stocks were boosted by expectations that China will announce another economic stimulus package.

Meanwhile, other commodities-focused stocks such as Shell, BP and British Gas-owner Centrica also rose after oil prices gained.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said “a glass half full attitude” is taking hold among traders.

Investors were optimistic despite the threat of trade tariffs by the incoming US president Donald Trump, she said.

At the end of the day in Europe Frankfurt’s Dax index rose 0.48%, while the Cac 40 in Paris rose 0.15%.

In New York a little while after markets had closed in Europe the S&P 500 had risen 0.39%, while the Dow Jones was 0.18% higher.

On currency markets the pound was trading 1.21% down against the dollar at 1.2367 and was 0.17% down against the euro at 1.2072.

In company news, Lidl hailed a jump in sales over Christmas as shoppers turned to the discount retailer to buy their Champagne and party food.

The discount supermarket chain revealed sales increased by 7% year-on-year, as turnover surpassed £1 billion over the four weeks to December 24.

It said it was a “record” festive period for the retailer.

Meanwhile, Revolution Beauty said it agreed a settlement with disgruntled former major shareholder Chrysalis Investments over legal claims against the troubled cosmetics brand.

Revolution has agreed to pay Chrysalis a “non-material sum”, which is less than 1% of Chrysalis’s stock market value, according to the investor, but the amount was not disclosed.

Revolution said the “confidential” settlement was reached without any admission of liability from either firm and that Chrysalis will not be taking any legal claim forward.

Brent Crude Futures were up 2.38% to 76.42 US dollars at the close of trading.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Endeavour Mining, up 70p to 1495p, Fresnillo, up 28p to 649.5p, Marks & Spencer, up 13.8p to 389.3p, Rolls-Royce, up 19.8p to 588.4p, and Airtel Africa, up 3.5p to 117.1p.

The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Howden Joinery, down 13.5p to 780p, St James’s Place, down 14.5p to 853.5p, Barratt Redrow, down 5.5p to 434.6p, Persimmon, down 14p to 1184p, and Intertek, down 50p to 4678p.