£5,000 invested in these 5 stocks 1 year ago is now worth £12,350
Stocks on the FTSE 100 are often overlooked in favour of their more glamorous American peers. Despite this, the UK index has comfortably outperformed the S&P 500 since the start of the year.
Thatâs why â with some careful research — I reckon itâs possible to make some handsome gains from investing in UK shares. Let me explain.
Top and bottom
Since April 2025, the top five performing stocks on the FTSE 100 have delivered an amazing return of 147%.
| Rank | Stock | 1-year share price change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresnillo | +268 |
| 2 | Endeavour Mining | +152 |
| 3 | Airtel Africa | +111 |
| 4 | Antofagasta | +105 |
| 5 | Glencore | +99 |
However, as impressive as this might be, it has to be acknowledged that four of them are mining companies. Soaring commodity prices have helped lift their stock market valuations without the need for any improvement in their operational performance.
And their share prices could fall as quickly as they have risen. A three-figure annual gain must therefore be treated as an exception rather than the norm.
Anyone unfortunate enough to have invested in the Footsieâs five worst performers a year ago, have suffered a 36% paper loss.
Mid-table
But most investors are likely to achieve returns closer to the average. If we ignore the extremes and look at those in the middle — for example, the stocks ranked 49-53 in the one-year league table â it reveals that an equal investment in all five would have produced an 18% return.
And in my opinion, thereâs nothing wrong with being average. After all, if this return was maintained for 25 years, a £20,000 investment would grow to over £1.25m.
| Rank | Stock | 1-year share price change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Smiths Group | +22 |
| 50 | Coca-Cola HBC | +21 |
| 51 | InterContinental Hotels Group | +19 |
| 52 | F&C Investment Trust | +15 |
| 53 | Next (LSE:NXT) | +15 |
I think these five are typical of the FTSE 100 in the sense that they go about their business with little fuss. Yet collectively, they reported over £4.5bn of operating profit in their last financial years.
Something to consider
The most valuable of them â Next â is one of the stock marketâs unsung heroes. Despite rarely hitting the headlines, itâs repeatedly upgraded its earnings forecasts since the pandemic.
Its results for the year ended 31 January (FY26) beat analysts’ expectations. Earnings per share (EPS) increased 17% compared to FY25. It also reported an âencouragingâ start to FY27.
However, if the Iran war continues things might take a turn for the worse. The Middle East is a small (28% of full-price international online sales) but increasingly important market for the group.
Indeed, overseas expansion (FY26 sales outside the UK grew five times faster) is likely to be the key driver of future growth as Next is already one of Britainâs largest clothing retailers. A slowdown in the UK economy remains a risk.
But at the moment (6 April), the group continues to deliver. Over the past five years, its share price has risen by an average of 10.2% per annum. EPS has more than tripled.
The group’s also supplemented its modest dividend (no guarantees) with a share buyback programme. The directors have set a ceiling price of £131 when it comes to repurchasing shares. With a current price of £129.50, they believe the retailer’s undervalued.
I believe Next is a well-run company with a strong brand, which proves that itâs possible to make money from âold-fashionedâ retailing by selling the right products.
And although itâs one of many UK stocks that continue to fly under the radar, I think it could be considered to help deliver reliable long-term gains as part of a diversified portfolio.
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More reading
- Here’s why Next stock rose 5% and topped the FTSE 100 today
- Next impresses again, but could its shares be about to crash?
- Time to buy, after Next shares are lifted by storming FY results?
- Is a stock market crash coming? Itâs not too late to get ready!
James Beard has positions in Airtel Africa Plc, Coca-Cola Hbc Ag, and Endeavour Mining Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Airtel Africa Plc, Fresnillo Plc, and InterContinental Hotels Group Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
