US stocks had a remarkable 2025. But international markets did much better

By John Towfighi, CNN (CNN) — US stocks had a stellar 2025, but global markets stole the show. A major index tracking stocks outside the US, the MSCI All Country World ex-USA, gained 29.2% in 2025, handily outpacing the S&P 500’s gain of 16.39%. The artificial intelligence boom has benefited markets in Asia, where tech