From the US to China, 2025 a blockbuster year for stock markets

Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 saw its 3rd twelvemonth of double-digit gains, portion non-US stocks registered their champion tally since 2009.

Stock markets had a stellar tally successful 2025.

From North America to Europe and Asia, markets racked up immoderate of the biggest gains successful years.

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While Wall Street achieved a 3rd consecutive twelvemonth of heady returns, non-US stocks did adjacent amended arsenic investors sought retired alternate markets amid the tumult wrought by United States President Donald Trump’s shake-up of planetary trade.

The globally-focused MSCI ACWI Ex-US index had its strongest show since 2009, when the global financial crisis was successful afloat swing.

The index, which tracks non-US stocks successful much than 40 markets, was connected Wednesday connected way to decorativeness 2025 up astir 30 percent, compared with the astir 18 percent instrumentality of the benchmark S&P 500.

The bullish streak marks a interruption from the decade-plus inclination of US stocks dominating planetary indexes.

Analysts person attributed the standout show by non-US markets to uncertainty caused by Trump, concerns astir the sky-high valuations of Silicon Valley tech firms, artificial quality (AI) advances successful China and the weakness of the US dollar, among different factors.

“International stocks could beryllium poised for different beardown twelvemonth arsenic net and economical maturation are expected to accelerate and stocks are attractively valued compared with stocks successful the S&P 500 index,” Charles Schwab expert Michelle Gibley said successful a enactment earlier this month.

Asia saw immoderate of the biggest gains.

South Korea, agelong among the weakest developed markets despite being location to firm giants Samsung and Hyundai, topped the planetary rankings, with its KOSPI finishing up nearly 76 percent.

SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics led the gains, rising immoderate 280 percent and 125 percent, respectively, connected the backmost of beardown request for their chips utilized successful AI.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index ended the twelvemonth astir 31 percent higher, portion the SSE Composite Index successful Shanghai was up much than 21 percent.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was up astir 28 percent.

Europe besides finished strong.

The FTSE 100 successful London and DAX 40 successful Frankfurt were some heading into 2026 up much than 20 percent.