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Even with all the geopolitical, pandemic, and economic uncertainty we’ve endured in the last decade, the markets have still been pretty rewarding for Stocks and Shares ISA investors.
In 2015, the total amount of money saved in ISAs sat at around £500bn. According to the latest data, it’s now closer to £800bn. And while a good chunk comes from additional contributions, the bulk’s courtesy of strong stock market performance.
So just how much money have ISA investors made since 2015?
A decade of investment returns
Everyone has a different portfolio. So the answer to the question – how much money have investors made – ultimately depends on which shares they bought.
In most cases, index funds end up being the primary destination of invested capital. These passive instruments are cheap, automated and, most importantly, they’ve an impressive track record of steadily building long-term wealth. Here in the UK, the FTSE 100’s by far the most popular index, and since 2015, it’s delivered some solid gains.
In fact, when including the extra returns from dividends, investors have reaped a 98.9% total return. That’s the equivalent of a 7.1% average annual gain. And it means £20,000 in 2015’s now worth £39,790.
Those who opted for the FTSE 250 haven’t been as fortunate. But their wealth has still moved in the right direction, expanding a £20,000 initial investment into £32,140. This deducted performance isn’t entirely surprising given the increased exposure to the British economy, which has notoriously lagged in terms of growth.
What about stock pickers?
Investors who are more confident and willing to take on more risk go beyond index funds and invest in individual shares directly. This can either be incredibly rewarding or backfire spectacularly if bad investment decisions are made. It all depends on how wisely an investor approaches the markets.
Those who focused on long-term hidden quality may have stumbled upon businesses like Computacenter (LSE:CCC). In a world of digitalisation, Computacenter positioned itself to be the go-to reseller for the private and public sectors of IT hardware. And as demand for automation, networking, and cybersecurity has continued to build, revenue over the 10-year period has more than doubled to £6.9bn while earnings have more than tripled.
For shareholders, that’s translated into a total investment return of over 200% transforming a £20,000 ISA into £60,590. Of course, there have been plenty of other UK shares that delivered far weaker returns, such as ITV and Currys, which are down a staggering 70% over the same period, leaving investors with just £6,000.
Still worth considering?
Demand for Computacenter’s services hasn’t waned in 2025, with a record order backlog and an impressive growth outlook. With that in mind, I think investors could be well served to take a closer look. But of course, there are risks to watch out for.
Macroeconomic uncertainty and global instability in trade can and have resulted in IT spending cuts in certain sectors. And a prolonged cyclical downturn could undercut the firm’s current growth trajectory. This may prove to be only a short-term issue. The group’s reputation for excellence is now well known so its shares trade at a premium. And that can invite unwanted volatility should spanners start getting thrown into the works.
