Index
FTSE 100 real return vs inflation and money printing UKX
FTSE 100. The 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Key numbers
- 1-month change
- -0.0%
- Volatility (30-day, annualised)
- 10.9%
FTSE 100 real return after inflation and money printing
In dollars and pounds, before and after inflation, since Jan 1985.
+3.6%FTSE 100 after US inflation since 20100.2% a year
Up 60.7% in dollars since 2010. After US inflation, up 3.6%. Against money printing, down 41.4%.
In pounds, up 96.3%, or up 20.3% after UK inflation.
- $ nominal
- +60.7%2.9% a year
- £ nominal
- +96.3%4.1% a year
- Real $ (US CPI)
- +3.6%0.2% a year
- Real £ (UK CPI)
- +20.3%1.1% a year
- vs US M2
- −41.4%−3.1% a year
- Measured from
- Dec 2009to Oct 2026, 16 years 10 months
- FTSE 100, Real $ (US CPI)14,060
- $ nominal14,060
- Oct 2026, latest
Loading the chart. Every figure is also in the table below.
| Period | $ nominal | £ nominal | Real $ (US CPI) | Real £ (UK CPI) | vs US M2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past year from Oct 2025 | +10.1% | +9.3% | –a (see note a) | +6.4% | +5.0% |
| 5 years from Oct 2021 | +41.9% 7.3% a year | +46.8% 8.0% a year | +17.2% 3.2% a year | +16.1% 3.0% a year | +28.7% 5.2% a year |
| Since 2020 from Dec 2019 | +40.5% 5.1% a year | +40.9% 5.1% a year | +7.8% 1.1% a year | +6.4% 0.9% a year | −7.6% −1.2% a year |
| 10 years from Oct 2016 | +65.6% 5.2% a year | +52.8% 4.3% a year | +19.5% 1.8% a year | +7.7% 0.7% a year | −6.9% −0.7% a year |
| Since 2010 from Dec 2009 | +60.7% 2.9% a year | +96.3% 4.1% a year | +3.6% 0.2% a year | +20.3% 1.1% a year | −41.4% −3.1% a year |
| Since 2000 from Dec 1999 | +25.6% 0.9% a year | +53.3% 1.6% a year | −36.9% −1.7% a year | −22.5% −0.9% a year | −75.0% −5.0% a year |
| Since Jan 1985 first month in our data | +871% 5.6% a year | +729% 5.2% a year | +206% 2.7% a year | +147% 2.2% a year | −3.0% −0.1% a year |
- a US CPI was not published for Oct 2025.
How these figures are worked out
Sources, inflation measures and what is left out
- Month-end closes from Yahoo Finance, Jan 1985 to Oct 2026. Oct 2026 is still in progress, so its figure is the latest close rather than a month-end. Our history for FTSE 100 starts in Jan 1985, so longer windows are left out.
- Real figures divide by US CPI (BLS, via FRED) or UK CPI (ONS, joined to the ONS long-run RPI before Jan 1988) and are stated in Oct 2026 money. The M2 lens divides by the US M2 money supply (Federal Reserve, via FRED). Pounds convert at each month's GBP/USD rate.
- US CPI is published with a lag: Oct 2026 uses the Aug 2026 figure.
- UK CPI is published with a lag: Oct 2026 uses the Aug 2026 figure.
- US M2 is published with a lag: Oct 2026 uses the Aug 2026 figure.
- Price returns only: dividends are not included, so the total return to a holder who reinvested them was higher.
- A return of 12 months or more also shows its yearly rate. Gaps in a source are left as gaps and never filled in.
FTSE 100 price history, past year
Daily closes from Yahoo Finance. Last refreshed .
Where FTSE 100 stands today
52-week range
- Below the high
- 2.4%
- Above the low
- 13.9%
At 10,650, the FTSE 100 is higher than 76% of its daily closes over the past year and only 2.4% short of the 10,911 high it set on 27 Feb 2026.
Moving averages
- 50-day10,721 -0.7%
- 200-day10,480 +1.6%
Price compared with each average. Bars to the right mean the price is above it.
The FTSE 100 has slipped 0.7% below its 50-day average but is still 1.6% above the 200-day, which tells us the recent dip hasn't yet broken the longer uptrend. The 50-day line has stayed above the 200-day on every day since 28 Jul 2026, as far back as our data lets us check.
Trend score
- Trend70
- Momentum46
- RSI score79
- Drawdown95
- Uptrend
- 65 or more
- Sideways
- 36 to 64
- Downtrend
- 35 or less
Rules-based, from 254 daily prices. It describes the trend so far and does not predict the next move. How it works.
FTSE 100 performance and biggest moves
Returns over time
| Period | UKX | SPY | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week | +1.0% | -0.1% | +1.1 pts |
| 1 month | -0.0% | +1.9% | −1.9 pts |
| 3 months | +1.3% | +3.1% | −1.9 pts |
| Year to date | +7.2% | +14.2% | −6.9 pts |
| 1 year | +12.8% | +17.4% | −4.6 pts |
The FTSE 100 is up 12.8% over the past year on price alone, against +17.4% for the S&P 500 (through the SPY fund), so it has trailed that comparison by 4.6 percentage points.
Best and worst days in the past year
- Days that closed higher
- 53%
- Moves of 2% or more
- 4
The biggest one-day rise since 14 Oct 2025 came on 8 Apr 2026 (+2.5%) and the sharpest fall on 3 Mar 2026 (−2.7%). Of the 253 trading days in that period, 53% closed higher than the day before and 4 moved by 2% or more in one direction or the other.
Is FTSE 100 overbought, and how volatile is it?
RSI (14-day)
Neutral- Sessions at 70+ (past year)
- 25
- Sessions at 30 or lower
- 0
The FTSE 100's RSI of 51.8 is near the middle of the scale, which tells us the up and down days of the last three weeks have more or less cancelled each other out. For context, it last went above 70 on 27 Feb 2026.
Volatility against other funds and indices
3rd calmest of 7- Typical daily move
- 0.7%
- Calmest in group
- TLT 9.7%
The FTSE 100's 30-day volatility is 10.9%, which works out at a move of roughly 0.7% on an ordinary day. That makes it the 3rd calmest of the 7 funds and indices we track, below the group median of 14.5%.
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FTSE 100: questions people ask
Answers are built from the same live figures shown above, so they change as the price does. Last checked 14 Oct 2026.
Has the FTSE 100 beaten inflation since 2010?
Yes. From the December 2009 close to October 2026, the FTSE 100 went up 60.7% in dollars. US consumer prices rose 55.1% over the same months, which leaves a real gain of 3.6%, or 0.2% a year after inflation. A UK holder counting in pounds saw up 96.3%, which comes to up 20.3% once UK CPI is taken out. These are price returns: dividends are not included, so a holder who reinvested them did better.
How has the FTSE 100 done against money printing?
The US M2 money supply grew 174% since 2010. M2 counts the cash, current accounts and savings deposits held in the US, so it measures how much new money was created rather than how much shop prices rose. Against it, the FTSE 100 is down 41.4%. In other words the price rose more slowly than the amount of money in circulation.
What is the FTSE 100's real return over 10 years?
Over the 10 years to October 2026, the FTSE 100 returned 65.6% in dollars (5.2% a year). After US inflation that is up 19.5%, 1.8% a year. In pounds after UK inflation it is up 7.7%.
What is the FTSE 100 at today?
The last price we have for the FTSE 100 is 10,650, down 0.1% on the day, as of 16:35 BST on 13 Oct 2026. We get US prices from Yahoo Finance and during trading hours they can be up to 15 minutes behind, so if you are about to trade you'll want the live quote from your broker rather than ours. Over the last month the index has moved −0.0% and over the last year +12.8%.
How has the FTSE 100 performed over the past year?
Over the past 12 months the FTSE 100 is up 12.8%, and since the start of the year it is up 7.2%. We put it next to the S&P 500 (through the SPY fund) because that is the obvious alternative for most people weighing up the FTSE 100, and it moved +17.4% over the same 12 months, a gap of 4.6 points in the S&P 500's favour. These are index levels, so they leave out the dividends a fund tracking the index would pay.
Is the FTSE 100 overbought?
No, or at least not on the 14-day RSI, which reads 51.8 at the moment. We'd only start calling the FTSE 100 overbought above 70 and it hasn't been there since 27 Feb 2026. RSI looks back over 14 sessions and asks how much of the movement was up and how much was down, so a reading in the 50s or 60s mostly tells us the past few weeks have been fairly even. The FTSE 100 spent 25 sessions at 70 or above in the past year, which is one reason we don't treat a high reading as a cue to sell: in a strong run it can stay there for weeks.
Is the FTSE 100 above its 200-day moving average?
It is. The FTSE 100's last price of 10,650 is 1.6% above its 200-day average of 10,480, and the 50-day average of 10,721 is above the 200-day as well, which has been true on every day since 28 Jul 2026, as far back as our data goes. We show the 200-day line because it averages about ten months of closing prices, so a single bad week hardly moves it, and when we look at a chart it's the quickest way to see whether an index has been rising or falling over the longer run, even if it can't tell us where the price goes from here.
Important information
Capital at risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Educational information only, not financial advice. Read our disclaimer.