Investment market update: February 2025

After reading headlines throughout February, you might be expecting a gloomy investment outlook. Yet, despite threats of trade wars and uncertainty around the world, there were market highs. Read on to find out more about some of the factors that influenced investment markets.

As investment markets are experiencing volatility, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some investors sought the “safe haven” of gold. On 10 February, the price of gold hit a record high of $2,900 (£2,288) an ounce.

While you might be tempted to follow suit and change your investment strategy, remember to focus on long-term performance. While returns cannot be guaranteed, volatility is part of investing and, historically, markets have delivered returns over long-term time frames.

UK

The Bank of England (BoE) started the month by cutting the base intere