Guides / FTSE 250 historical data: where the official data comes from and how to read it
FTSE 250 historical data: where the official data comes from and how to read it
The official FTSE 250 series is calculated by FTSE Russell, part of LSEG, and most free charts and downloads are copies of it. Before you use one, check whether it is the price or total return version, closing or intraday levels, where it starts, and whether it has been rebased.
Short answer: start from the FTSE Russell factsheet and the London Stock Exchange overview page, then check four things before you compare any two FTSE 250 series. Those are the return type, close or intraday, the start date and any rebasing, and the fact that the companies inside the index keep changing. This page covers sourcing and pitfalls only. It gives no current levels, and nothing here is a forecast.
The short answer: where FTSE 250 history actually comes from
FTSE Russell calculates the FTSE 250. It is part of LSEG, the group that also runs the London Stock Exchange. When a chart site shows the index going back decades, the numbers trace back to FTSE Russell, whether or not the site says so.
This matters because most free sources are copies of copies. One site licenses or downloads the series, a second scrapes it, a third draws a chart. Each step can change the date range, the rounding or the version of the index. If two tables disagree, go back to the source.
The full series is a data product. The FTSE Russell factsheet says that use and distribution of LSEG data requires a licence from LSEG, and that end-of-day data is distributed via FTP and email. For current values, use the official pages listed below. This guide does not quote them.
What the data is: index levels, not share prices
The FTSE Russell ground rules define the FTSE 250 as the next 250 UK companies by full market capitalisation outside the FTSE 100, among those that qualify. The factsheet describes it as mid-cap stocks traded on the London Stock Exchange that pass screens for size and liquidity.
The number in a history file is an index level, measured in points. It is worked out from the prices of all the companies in the index, and you cannot buy anything at that figure. Each company's shares have their own price. For the background, see what a stock market index is and what the FTSE 250 index is.
Price return versus total return: why two series for the same index differ
The factsheet says the index is calculated on both price and total return methods. The ground rules list capital (price) and total return indices among the versions FTSE Russell produces.
- Price return follows share prices only. When a company pays a dividend, that cash leaves the series.
- Total return adds dividends back in, so it shows what holding the companies would have produced with income included.
Two datasets can both say "FTSE 250" and still show different numbers for the same day, because one is the price series and the other is total return. Both can be correct. Over many years the gap gets wider, because dividends build up. The performance tables on the factsheet itself are labelled total return, so check before you set them beside a price chart.
If a source does not say which version it is, treat that as a warning. For the income side, see how to read FTSE 250 dividend yields.
Which official pages to start from (FTSE Russell and London Stock Exchange)
- FTSE Russell factsheet: the definition, the launch date, the review months, the versions calculated and how far back history goes. It is updated regularly, so check its date.
- FTSE Russell ground rules for the FTSE UK Index Series: the full method, including how companies are ranked and when reviews happen.
- London Stock Exchange FTSE 250 overview: current index information, the launch date, review months and a link to the constituents page. The page says its data is delayed by at least 15 minutes.
Both the factsheet and the LSE page give the launch date as 12 October 1992. The factsheet also says history is available from 31 December 1985, which is earlier than the launch. The factsheet's disclaimer explains that figures from before an index's official launch are back-tested, worked out afterwards using the index method. A chart that starts in the 1980s is showing a reconstruction for its first few years.
These pages are not built as a free download archive. If you need the full daily series, the official route is to ask FTSE Russell about its data products.
Checking a downloaded dataset before you use it
Before a file goes into a spreadsheet, check:
- Version: price return or total return? If the header does not say, find out before you use it.
- Close or intraday: the factsheet says real-time and end-of-day values are both calculated. Most free downloads are daily closes. A figure on a page during the day is a delayed live reading, and it will not match that day's close.
- Start date and rebasing: where does the series begin, and has it been rebased? A rebased series sets its first value to 100 and scales everything after it. The factsheet's own ten-year chart works this way. It has the same shape as the raw points but very different numbers, so never mix the two in one comparison.
- Units and currency: points, not a share price. The factsheet lists GBP and EUR versions, so check which one you have.
The first three explain most cases where two FTSE 250 datasets disagree. The fourth source of confusion is membership, which needs its own section.
How membership changes sit inside a continuous history
The ground rules say the FTSE UK Index Series is reviewed quarterly, in March, June, September and December, and both the factsheet and the LSE page give the same months. At each review some companies leave and others join.
The history does not restart when that happens. It is one continuous line, and the list of companies behind it changes over time. A level from the 1990s reflects the companies in the index then. Today's level reflects today's companies. Comparing the two tells you how the index moved. It does not tell you how any one of today's companies did.
That gives a fourth way for figures to disagree. If someone builds their own "FTSE 250 history" from the companies in the index today, the result will not match the official series, because it leaves out every company that has since left.
This is also why copied company lists go out of date. See where to find the FTSE 250 list of companies and why it goes stale, and use the LSE constituents page for the current names.
Reading history alongside the news, without treating either as a forecast
Index history records what happened to the level. News records what was being said at the time. Setting the two side by side can help you understand a period, but neither tells you what happens next. A run of upbeat headlines before a rise does not make a rule, and the factsheet itself says past performance is no guarantee of future results. News tone is not a share-price forecast, and nothing here is advice.
MarketFrame's archive starts on 30 September 2026. It is free and covers news tone for FTSE 100 companies only, not the FTSE 250. For that larger-company news, see the daily FTSE 100 news analysis.
Where to go next on MarketFrame
- New to the index: what the FTSE 250 index is.
- Reading a chart rather than a data file: how to read a long-term FTSE 100 chart. It covers chart shapes, and the same cautions about levels apply.
Questions
Where can I find official FTSE 250 historical data?
Start with the FTSE Russell factsheet and ground rules, and the London Stock Exchange FTSE 250 overview page. The full series is a licensed LSEG data product, so free sites are showing copies.
Is the FTSE 250 index level the same as a share price?
No. It is a level in points, worked out from many companies' prices. Nobody buys anything at that figure.
What is the difference between the price index and the total return index?
The price version follows share prices only. The total return version adds dividends back in. FTSE Russell calculates both, so check which one a dataset uses.
When did the FTSE 250 start, and does older history use the same companies?
It launched on 12 October 1992, according to both FTSE Russell and the LSE. History back to 31 December 1985 is a reconstruction. The companies change at each quarterly review.
Why do two sites show slightly different FTSE 250 figures for the same day?
Usually it is price versus total return, a closing level versus a delayed intraday reading, or a different start date or rebasing. Check the label and the timestamp first.
Questions people ask
Where can I find official FTSE 250 historical data?
Start with the FTSE Russell factsheet and index pages and the London Stock Exchange FTSE 250 overview page. FTSE Russell calculates the index and is part of LSEG. The full series is a licensed data product: the factsheet says use and distribution of LSEG data requires a licence, so free sites are showing copies.
Is the FTSE 250 index level the same as a share price?
No. The level is a number in index points, worked out from the prices of all the companies in the index. Nobody buys anything at that figure. Each company's shares have their own price.
What is the difference between the price index and the total return index?
FTSE Russell calculates the FTSE 250 using both price and total return methods. The price version follows share prices only. The total return version also counts dividends paid out, so over long periods the two lines drift apart. Always check which one a dataset uses.
When did the FTSE 250 start, and does older history use the same companies?
The FTSE Russell factsheet and the London Stock Exchange both give the launch date as 12 October 1992. The factsheet says history is available from 31 December 1985, so the years before launch are a reconstruction. The companies have changed many times, because membership is reviewed every quarter.
Why do two sites show slightly different FTSE 250 figures for the same day?
Usually one shows the price index and the other total return, or one shows a closing level and the other a delayed intraday reading. A different start date or a rebased series is another cause. Check the label and the timestamp first.