The 2025 financial year can now be summed up, with sharp price movements, including in stock markets. President Donald Trump's spring tariff moves caused major stock markets to plummet, only to recover and, in many cases, finish very strong.
Here are some of the investments that were this year's big winners - but also the opposite.
The global stock market
Winner: Imagine Ulf Kristersson promising as an election pledge that the Stockholm Stock Exchange would reach a new record high with him as prime minister. Sounds unlikely, but that's exactly what happened in South Korea.
Lee Jae-Myung ran for president under the slogan “Kospi 5,000,” which is the level the Seoul Stock Exchange’s main index should reach within his five-year term. Lee Jae-Myung won the election, and this year the Kospi index has surged nearly 76 percent, making it one of the hottest stock markets of the year.
Loser:
Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has faced setback after setback this year. The maker of popular weight-loss drugs has seen its share price halve this year, and the decline has dragged the entire Copenhagen Stock Exchange down with it. While many other major stock markets have risen, the Copenhagen Stock Exchange has plunged almost 16 percent, dragged down by Novo Nordisk.
Stockholm Stock Exchange
Winner:
Gold and weapons have been the recipe for success for those who have seen the biggest price surges on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Lundin Gold is the best performer with a rise of 240 percent this year. The defense group Saab has continued to rise following various defense investments and has climbed 130 percent.
Loser:
A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that Yubico's CEO was leaving the company. This follows a year in which the stock plummeted. With a price drop of 69 percent, the stock has had the worst performance among listed companies since the start of the year.
Metals
Winner:
Gold and silver have been the winners. The price of gold has reached a new record high this year, up 65 percent since the start of the year, while silver has surged 150 percent. While the price of gold has soared in line with lower interest rates and a weaker dollar, silver prices have increased sharply because of strong demand in industrial applications, such as data centers.
Loser:
Few metals have fallen; a global recession has caused the price of steel to drop by almost 6 percent.
Raw materials
Winner:
Several raw materials have actually fallen in price, but there are some exceptions, primarily wool, which has risen 33.5 percent according to Trading Economics. The reason is that Australia, the world's largest producer, has had its lowest production in 100 years, partly due to drought.
Loser:
Some of the commodities that surged in price in 2024 have reversed course this year. Among them, orange juice has plunged 59.2 percent, according to Trading Economics. Cocoa has also seen a sharp price drop of 47.7 percent.
Record-breaking potato harvests in Europe, among other places, have also caused the commodity price of potatoes to decrease by a whopping 77.7 percent.
