The FTSE 100 has started the year with a bang, hitting its second all-time high of 2025 on Thursday morning, surging past 8,700 points at the open. It had broken its previous record high just last month,

Our writer’s portfolio lagged the FTSE 100 last year, but he’s not giving up on stock-picking and highlights a recent investment.

UK stocks were lower on Friday, with the FTSE 100 easing from a record high, as the pound recovered ground and investors tread cautiously ahead of a closely watched U.S. jobs report. The FTSE 100 lost 0.

The FTSE 100 has ended the week in the red, falling back from the record highs set earlier in the week. London’s biggest stock index fell 27 points to finish the day at 8,701, or a 0.3% drop. The export-heavy FTSE was weighed down partly by a recovery in the value of the pound,