Best UK Stock for 2026: The FTSE 100’s Biggest Winners So Far
Updated 25 October 2026 · Share price data to 30 September 2026 unless stated
Quick answer
The best UK stock for 2026 so far is Computacenter. The IT services group was up 84.5% for the year by 30 September 2026, the biggest gain in the FTSE 100 once takeover targets are set aside. Ithaca Energy (+65.5%) and Lion Finance Group (+54.5%) come next.
Over the same period the FTSE 100 index rose 6.8%. For most new investors, the smarter move is not to chase this year’s winner but to buy the whole index cheaply inside a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Key points in 30 seconds
- Top performer: Computacenter, driven by AI data centre spending by large US tech firms.
- Runners-up: Ithaca Energy and Shell rode the oil price higher; Lion Finance grew profits strongly in Georgia and Armenia.
- easyJet rose 32.7%, but mainly because private equity firm Apollo agreed to buy it, so it is not a growth story you can buy into now.
- Big names fell too: Rentokil (−33.6%) and St James’s Place (−23.2%) show how one stock can go badly wrong.
- For beginners: a FTSE 100 tracker fund costs from 0.07% a year and spreads your money across 100 companies.
The best UK stock for 2026 so far: the numbers
The chart below shows the strongest FTSE 100 shares this year. The FTSE 100 is the index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, and it is the usual yardstick for “the UK stock market”.
Top FTSE 100 shares in 2026: share price change, 1 Jan to 30 Sep 2026
*easyJet’s rise mostly reflects a recommended £5.7bn cash takeover by Apollo. Source: interactive investor / ShareScope, share price only (dividends not included). By 23 October the FTSE 100 was at 10,690, about 7.6% higher than its 2025 close of 9,931.
Why Computacenter is the best UK stock for 2026 (so far)
Computacenter is not a household name. It is a Hertfordshire-based company that buys, installs and supports technology for big organisations. In 2026 its most important customers have been the “hyperscalers”, the giant US tech firms building data centres to run artificial intelligence. Computacenter supplies and sets up much of the equipment inside them.
The results back up the share price. In the six months to 30 June 2026, the company reported:
- Revenue up 71.6% to £6.85bn
- Adjusted profit before tax up 87% to £152.4m
- An order backlog of £9.3bn, more than four times the level a year earlier
- Full-year profit guidance raised to at least £380m
It also joined the FTSE 100 in June, which forces index-tracking funds to buy the shares.
The catch: gross margin fell from 12.6% to 9.6%, because selling hardware earns thinner margins than services. The shares have also cooled since September; by 17 October the gain for the year had slipped to about 74%. A company tied this closely to AI spending can fall quickly if that spending slows.
The other top UK stocks of 2026 compared
| Company | What it does | 2026 gain* | Why it rose | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computacenter | IT services and hardware | +84.5% | AI data centre orders, upgraded profit guidance | AI spending slowdown, thinner margins |
| Ithaca Energy | North Sea oil and gas producer | +65.5% | Higher oil prices, large dividends, promoted to FTSE 100 in September | Oil and gas prices falling, UK energy tax policy |
| Lion Finance Group | Owner of Bank of Georgia and Ameriabank in Armenia | +54.5% | First-half profit up 17.3%, higher dividend and share buybacks | Political and currency risk in the region |
| Shell | Global oil and gas major | +30.3% | Brent crude above $110 on Middle East supply fears | Oil price falls back |
| Vodafone | Mobile and broadband networks | +24.1% | Turnaround progress; French billionaire Xavier Niel became largest shareholder | Patchy record on past turnaround plans |
*Share price change, 1 January to 30 September 2026. Source: interactive investor / ShareScope.
Notice the pattern. Two of the five winners are oil producers, and their gains depend on a price that nobody controls. Brent crude, the global benchmark, pushed past $110 a barrel in October as attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz threatened supply. If that eases, these shares could give back a lot of ground.
Ithaca Energy deserves a word of caution for income seekers. Analysts projected a dividend yield of around 9.6% when it entered the FTSE 100. A yield that high usually means the market doubts the payout will last. We cover how to judge this in our guide to dividend stocks.
The biggest FTSE 100 losers of 2026
Any article about the best UK stock for 2026 that skips the losers is only telling half the story. These are well-known companies, and some were seen as “safe”.
| Company | 2026 change* | What went wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Rentokil Initial | −33.6% | Slower growth in its North American pest control business; a key margin target was dropped |
| St James’s Place | −23.2% | Wealth manager under pressure |
| Imperial Brands | −21.6% | Rising government bond yields made high-dividend tobacco shares less attractive |
| Barratt Redrow | −12.8% | Housebuilders stayed out of favour, despite a late rally on a new first-time buyer loan scheme |
| AstraZeneca | −10.9% | Late-stage drug trial setbacks |
*Share price change, 1 January to 30 September 2026. Source: interactive investor / ShareScope.
AstraZeneca is one of the largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. If a company of that size can lose a tenth of its value in nine months, any single share can.
Should you buy the best UK stock for 2026 now?
Probably not as your first investment. Here is why.
This year’s winner is rarely next year’s. By the time a share tops the league table, the good news is usually already in the price. Buying after an 80% rise means you need the story to keep getting better just to break even, and you carry the full loss if it doesn’t.
Look at what drove 2026’s gains: AI spending, an oil price shock and a takeover. None of those is something a new investor can predict. Professional fund managers, with research teams behind them, struggle to pick winners consistently.
A note for migrants. Before investing anything, keep three to six months of essential spending in an easy-access savings account. If you send money home regularly, plan for that first. Shares can fall 20% or more in a bad year, and you never want to be forced to sell at a loss to cover rent or a family emergency. Our guide on whether to invest or save walks through this.
A simpler way to own the UK’s best stocks
A FTSE 100 tracker fund buys all 100 companies for you, in proportion to their size. When Computacenter joined the index, tracker investors automatically owned it. When a company falls out, the fund sells it. You never need to guess which share will win.
| One single share | FTSE 100 tracker ETF | Global tracker fund | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companies owned | 1 | 100 UK companies | Thousands worldwide |
| Risk if one firm fails | High | Low | Very low |
| Research needed | A lot | Very little | Very little |
| Stamp duty on purchase | 0.5% on UK shares | None on ETFs | None |
| Typical yearly fund charge | None | 0.07% to 0.09% | Around 0.1% to 0.25% |
Two widely used FTSE 100 trackers are the iShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (ticker ISF, ongoing charge 0.07%) and the Vanguard FTSE 100 UCITS ETF (ticker VUKE, 0.09%). Bear in mind the FTSE 100 leans heavily on banks, oil, mining and pharmaceuticals. Many investors pair it with a global fund for wider spread. Our list of the best performing ETFs for UK investors and our guide on how to pick an ETF cover both options.
Where to buy UK shares and FTSE 100 funds
You need an investment platform, an app or website that holds your shares for you. All four below are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK regulator, and let you invest through a Stocks and Shares ISA.
| Platform | Best for | Cost to buy a UK share or ETF | Yearly account fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 | Small amounts, from £1 | £0 commission | None |
| Freetrade | Simple app, free ISA on Basic plan | £0 commission | None on Basic plan |
| AJ Bell | Monthly investing from £25 | £5 per online deal (free for regular monthly investing) | 0.25% on shares, capped at £3.50 a month |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | Research and phone support | £6.95 per online deal | 0.35% on shares in an ISA, capped at £150 a year |
Stamp duty of 0.5% applies to most UK share purchases on every platform. Fees checked October 2026.
Starting with a small amount? Commission-free apps keep costs low while you learn.
Open a Trading 212 ISA → Compare Freetrade plans →Prefer a long-established provider?
See AJ Bell’s ISA → See Hargreaves Lansdown →For a fuller side-by-side review, see our best investment platforms for beginners.
Tax: why the ISA comes first
A Stocks and Shares ISA lets you invest up to £20,000 in the 2026/27 tax year with no tax on dividends or profits, ever. You can open one if you live in the UK, whatever your nationality or visa. Personal investing does not count as “public funds”, so it does not affect visa conditions. Our guide on investing on a Skilled Worker visa explains the detail.
Outside an ISA, the tax picture is less friendly:
- Dividends: the first £500 a year is tax-free. Above that, you pay 10.75% (basic rate), 35.75% (higher rate) or 39.35% (additional rate). The basic and higher rates both rose by two percentage points in April 2026.
- Profits when you sell: the first £3,000 of gains each year is free of Capital Gains Tax.
New to ISAs? Start with our best Stocks and Shares ISA for beginners guide, or read ISA vs General Investment Account if you have already used your allowance.
How to start investing in UK stocks in five steps
- Build your safety net. Keep emergency savings in cash before you invest.
- Pick a platform. Choose one from the table above and open a Stocks and Shares ISA. You will need proof of identity, a UK address and your National Insurance number.
- Choose a core fund. A FTSE 100 or global tracker makes a sensible base for most beginners.
- Invest monthly. Setting up a fixed monthly amount smooths out the ups and downs. See lump sum vs monthly investing.
- Keep single shares small. If you want to own a company like Computacenter, many investors cap individual shares at around 5% to 10% of their portfolio.
Curious how regular investing could grow over time? Try our compound interest calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best UK stock for 2026?
Computacenter is the best performing FTSE 100 stock of 2026 so far, up 84.5% to 30 September, excluding takeover targets. Ithaca Energy (+65.5%) and Lion Finance Group (+54.5%) follow. Past performance does not tell you what will happen next.
How has the FTSE 100 performed in 2026?
The FTSE 100 closed at 10,690 on 23 October 2026, about 7.6% higher than its 2025 close of 9,931. It hit an intraday record of 10,989 on 31 July 2026.
Is it too late to buy Computacenter shares?
Nobody can know. The company’s profits are growing fast, but the share price already reflects much of that, and its business is closely tied to AI data centre spending. If you buy, keep it to a small part of a diversified portfolio.
Can migrants buy UK shares?
Yes. Anyone living in the UK can open a share account or Stocks and Shares ISA, regardless of nationality. Platforms will ask for ID, proof of address and usually a National Insurance number.
Is a FTSE 100 tracker better than picking individual stocks?
For most beginners, yes. A tracker spreads your money across 100 companies for as little as 0.07% a year and avoids the 0.5% stamp duty charged on UK share purchases. Picking single stocks can beat the index, but it can also lose far more.
Our verdict
Computacenter has earned its place as the best UK stock for 2026 so far, backed by real growth in profits rather than hype. Ithaca Energy, Lion Finance and Shell round out a year shaped by AI spending and expensive oil.
For a migrant building wealth in the UK for the first time, though, the lesson of 2026 is diversification. The same year that produced an 84% winner also produced a 34% loser. Opening a Stocks and Shares ISA and buying a low-cost tracker gives you a share of the winners without betting everything on guessing them.
Start investing with Trading 212 → Explore iShares FTSE 100 ETF →Want the basics first? Read what investing is and how it works.
Financial Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please consult a qualified financial adviser before making investment decisions. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest. Share price figures are historical and are not a guide to future returns.
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