FTSE 100 bounces back despite Covid to finish 14.3% up in 2021

FTSE 100 bounces back despite Covid to finish 14.3% up in 2021

The FTSE 100 has recorded its best year since 2016, as UK stocks recovered from the pandemic shock of 2020.

London’s leading index of blue-chip shares rallied by 14.3% during 2021, a year after falling 14.3% in its worst drop since the 2008 financial crisis. It closed at 7384 points on Friday, having started the year at 6460 points.

Stocks were lifted during the year by economic optimism as Covid-19 vaccines allowed economies to reopen, with stimulus packages from governments and central banks boosting growth. Investors largely shrugged off worries about inflation, ongoing supply chain disruption, and variants such as Omicron.