Money Distilled

This Has Been a Stellar Year So Far for Stocks

Yet one lumpen asset has still managed to outpace the majority of developed markets.

The Madrid stock exchange: a great place to have been in 2025. 

Photographer: Emilio Parra Doiztua/Bloomberg
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Welcome to the multi-award-winning Money Distilled newsletter. I’m John Stepek. Every week day I look at the biggest stories in markets and economics, and explain what it all means for your money.

Purely in terms of public mood (certainly in the UK, but I feel this is pretty widespread across the world), I don’t think 2025 will go down in the history books as one of the most upbeat years on record.