The UK stalwarts powering the FTSE comeback 

• British high street staples are rewarding investors with market-beating performance, including the likes of Next, Tesco, Vodafone and BT
• eToro’s basket of UK stalwarts is up 31% YTD, eclipsing the returns of the S&P 500 (16%), Stoxx 600 (12%) and wider FTSE 100 index (19%).
• These trusted British brands have even outperformed the S&P 500 by 15% YTD

With so much focus on the strength of the US capital markets and their global brands, it’s easy to overlook the UK’s own stalwarts. Yet new analysis by trading and investing platform eToro shows that these everyday British names are enjoying a standout year.

An equal-weighted basket of several UK brands compiled by eToro delivered strong returns of 31% year-to-date as of November 3 close. While the FTSE 100 has posted a strong total return of 19% so far this year, driven in part by high-flyers like Rolls-Royce, Babcock, and BAE Systems, everyday British brands and high street staples are proving to be hidden treasures with the likes of Currys, BT and Next quietly delivering better returns than many global names.

“Not many of us look at the British high street and think it’s the most exciting investment opportunity’’, said Dan Moczulski, UK MD at eToro. “Investors tend to get excited about the next big thing: whether it’s AI, robotics, or digital assets. But a lot of the brands we come across, or even use ourselves on a daily basis, and perhaps thinking nothing of, are smashing expectations and deserve a closer look.”

According to the latest eToro Retail Investor Beat survey, just 16% of respondents globally hold exposure to the UK stock market, compared with 43% who are invested in the US. The US market performance has been dominated by a handful of domestic names, while many long familiar UK companies, often overlooked in favour of American growth stories, are delivering some of the strongest returns of 2025, signalling a turning point that merits a closer look from investors.

Source: eToro, Bloomberg. Price returns in local currency terms, as of November 3, 2025 close. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

“US markets have dominated people’s attention for so long that many investors, particularly the younger ones, haven’t even considered British stocks”, continued Moczulski. “But there are plenty of high-quality businesses right under our noses. UK stocks not only offer great quality and value, but they also provide diversification, with less reliance on the dollar, something investors definitely shouldn’t overlook.”