These are good times for stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic, but the US is way out in front.
In the UK, the FTSE 100 index of leading shares has been trading close to its record high and is up nearly 8 per cent so far this year. Across the pond, the gains are even more dramatic.
The S&P 500 is up 23 per cent, having hit fresh peaks on 44 trading days already in 2024 – one of the highest numbers on record. And the gulf between returns from the UK and US markets is growing.
Buoyant: In the UK, the FTSE 100 has been trading close to its record high and is up nearly 8% so far this year. Across the pond, the gains are even more dramatic
The FTSE 100 has notched up a 17 per cent gain over five years, but the S&P has done much better, nearly doubling in value in that time.
If dividends paid out by companies were re-invested, the FTSE 100 delivered a total annual return of 6 per cent over the past decade, according to a…


