The S&P 500 has long been the default choice for global investors chasing growth. However, it's the FTSE 100 closer to home that just hit a fresh record high of 10,989.45 and quietly outperformed its more famous American rival. On a £50,000 investment, that difference starts to translate into real money in your pocket. Over the trailing 12 months to 31 July 2026, the Footsie returned 19.1% versus 18.3% for the S&P 500. The Footsie also offers a dividend yield of approximately 3.5%, more than three times the S&P 500's 1.1% yield.