Wall Street ends 2025 near record highs after year of economic upheaval
The Guardian••general
Key Points:
- Wall Street ended 2025 near record highs, with the S&P 500 rising 16.4% over the year to close at 6,845.50, driven by strong tech valuations and hopes for lower interest rates despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
- The Nasdaq Composite led gains with a 20.5% increase, fueled by enthusiasm around artificial intelligence, while the Dow Jones and FTSE 100 also saw significant annual gains of 13.4% and 21.5%, respectively.
- Investor concerns over US tariffs and the longest government shutdown in history created economic uncertainty, but these worries were overshadowed by a surge in tech stocks, particularly Nvidia, which reached a historic $4.55 trillion valuation.
