At a very high rate, what would £1,000 invested in the FTSE 100 now be worth in a year’s time?

Already this year, i FTSE 100 Britain’s leading share index has hit record highs. It also broke the 10,000 mark for the first time.

Over the past five years, the FTSE 100 has grown in value by 51%.

So, if someone were to deposit £1,000 today, what would they be sitting on a year from now?

What is driving the stock market recovery

The answer to that question depends on three things. One is share price movements and I will come back to that shortly.

The second is assignments. This FTSE 100 company paid a dividend of 2.9%. So someone putting in £1,000 should earn around £29 over the next year in dividends.

Shares are never guaranteed so the actual value will be higher or lower, but as a broad indicator of what to expect I think the current FTSE 100 yield is a useful place to start.

The third benefit is driving stock market fees, costs and charges. This may seem small but it can pay off even in one year, let alone in the long term.

So it makes sense to hunt for the right share management account, Stocks and Shares ISA or trading app.

Excavating price movements

Footsie’s growth of 51% over the past five years means that £1,000 invested over that period should be worth £1,510 even before dividends are taken into account. But how could the index perform over the next 12 months?

Do well in the early days of 2026. Last year’s performance (+22%) showed that the index can perform well even when the economy slows down. That’s partly because the FTSE 100 includes companies listed in London but the majority of their earnings are generated overseas.

What can 2026 bring?

I think a repeat of last year’s jobs over the next 12 months is unlikely given the weak UK economy and global uncertainty. But if it does, £1,000 can be more than £1,200 a year.

Optimistically, what if national anxiety subsides and the world goes into growth mode? If that happens, perhaps the FTSE 100 could do much better than last year.

However, at a peak in the middle of a weak economy, I also see a risk that the flagship index could go down. That could reduce the value of £1,000 invested now.

I am buying 100 FTSE shares

Personally, however, I don’t ‘buy the index’ by investing in FTSE 100 tracker bag. Instead, I hold FTSE 100 shares which I think look like good value.

One I’ve been buying for the past few months is a high street bakery chain Greggs (LSE: GRG), a well-known business that I find easy to understand.

The stock price is down 21% over the past year. Fears of declining growth rates help explain that, although I still see significant growth opportunities.

Wage inflation is detrimental to profitability.

But with its strong brand, proven business model, thousands of stores, economies of scale and other unique products, I think Greggs has a long-term winning formula.

Hopefully that will help the share price. Trading at 12 times earnings, the FTSE 100 share looks cheap to me given its business potential.