My 2025 Investment Portfolio Results (Full Breakdown)

2025 is in the books. In this full year-end review, I am sharing exactly how my investment portfolio performed, what went well, what dragged it down, and what I am taking into 2026.

The headline numbers: my portfolio grew from $244,000 to $328,000 over the course of the year. The organic investment return was 4% ($13,000), though that number is misleading because Bitcoin weighed heavily on the result. Excluding crypto, my stocks and ETFs alone returned 16%, or roughly $23,000.

The Overall Numbers

The majority of the portfolio growth came from my own contributions rather than investment returns. That is partly because Bitcoin, which still makes up nearly 45% of my portfolio, declined during the last few months of 2025. Everything else performed well, but Bitcoin dragged the overall number down to just 4%.

When I isolate only stocks and ETFs, the picture looks much better: 16% return with $23,000 in gains. That is a result I am genuinely pleased with.

ETF Holdings: S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100

My two core ETF positions are SPY5 (an S&P 500 ETF traded in dollars on the London Stock Exchange) and a NASDAQ 100 ETF.

The S&P 500 delivered another record-breaking year, returning 17%. When people talk about historical averages of 8 to 10% per year, a 17% return is well above expectations. My S&P 500 holding generated $12,500 in gains alone.

The NASDAQ 100 outperformed the S&P 500 on a percentage basis, which is expected given its heavy concentration in tech companies. Both positions form the foundation of my portfolio, and I plan to continue building them through 2026.

Individual Stock Holdings

Google (Alphabet)

Google was the standout performer. I made a profit of $7,142, representing a 71% gain. The position was not enormous, and in hindsight I wish I had invested more. For now, I am not adding to this position unless there is a significant pullback, given how far the price has already run.

Amazon

Amazon was the disappointment. It returned just 3% for the year, roughly $1,000 in gains. It was actually the worst-performing stock among the Magnificent 7 during 2025.

Despite the flat year, I remain bullish on Amazon long term. The company is far more than an e-commerce platform. AWS continues growing, their robotics and AI initiatives are advancing, and their satellite and self-driving car businesses add further diversification. I believe the margin expansion from automation and AI will eventually translate into meaningful stock price growth, whether that happens in 2026 or a few years later. I am continuing to build my position.

Emaar Properties

Emaar is my most recent addition, a UAE-based real estate developer. I only added this position a few weeks before year-end, so the gain was minimal at just $22. What makes this holding attractive is the dividend. In April, Emaar is expected to pay an annual dividend of around 7%, which provides a strong income component on top of any price appreciation.

This also gives me geographical diversification away from US-centric holdings, which I consider important for a well-rounded portfolio.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin was the drag on my 2025 returns. While it declined over the course of the year, zooming out tells a different story. My all-time return on Bitcoin is still $55,000, or 54%, which is a strong result given that I did not invest particularly early.

Crypto still makes up nearly 45% of my portfolio, which is higher than I would like. Throughout 2025, I deliberately did not invest any new money into Bitcoin, instead directing all contributions toward ETFs and stocks. I am not selling my Bitcoin, but I am actively rebalancing by growing other positions.

I keep most of my crypto on a Ledger hardware wallet for self-custody. A smaller amount sits on Nexo, where I earn interest on the balance.

The Biggest Dip of the Year

According to Snowball Analytics, my portfolio hit a high of $265,000 on January 21, then dropped 22% through April before fully recovering by May 10. That kind of swing is normal when you hold volatile assets, and it reinforces why staying invested matters more than trying to time the market.

As your portfolio grows, the absolute dollar swings get larger. There were days I lost over $10,000 in a single session. That is the reality of holding a six-figure portfolio with exposure to crypto and individual stocks.

Dividends and Passive Income

Dividend tracking is an area I have improved significantly. Using Snowball Analytics, I can see every dividend payment across all my holdings.

My total annual dividend income is approaching $3,000, with the largest contributors being:

• Bondora P2P lending: ~$1,500 annually at 6% interest
• S&P 500 ETF: regular dividend distributions from the underlying companies
• Emaar: expected ~7% annual dividend starting April 2026
• Google: a small dividend, relatively insignificant in dollar terms

This amounts to roughly $250 per month in passive income, which will grow as I add to my dividend-paying positions.

Brokers and Tools I Use

My holdings are spread across several platforms:

• Interactive Brokers for my core ETF and stock positions
• eToro for additional stock exposure
• Trading 212 as a secondary broker
• Ledger for self-custody of cryptocurrency
• Nexo for earning interest on a portion of crypto
• XTB as an additional broker I have been exploring
• Bondora for P2P lending at 6%

For portfolio tracking, I use both Delta and Snowball Analytics. Delta has a polished mobile app with real-time prices, while Snowball Analytics offers better dividend tracking and portfolio analytics. Both have useful home screen widgets for keeping an eye on performance at a glance.

The $1 Million Goal

My target is to reach a $1 million investment portfolio by 2030. Based on current contribution rates and expected returns, Snowball Analytics projects this is achievable in approximately four years.

My total net worth has already surpassed $1 million when including real estate, but I track that separately. The investment portfolio goal is specifically for liquid, market-based holdings. Whether I reach it in 2029 or 2030 depends on market performance and how much I can increase my contributions, but either way, the trajectory is encouraging.

All-Time Returns

Since I started investing, my total tracked gains exceed $83,000. The real number is likely over $100,000 because some earlier trades were not properly tracked before I had these tools in place. That is money I would not have if I had left everything in a European bank account earning 1% interest.

I work hard for my money, and I want to make sure my money works equally hard for me. The power of staying invested over the long term, through the dips and the rallies, is what makes compounding work.

Key Takeaways for 2026

• Diversification matters. Bitcoin dragged down my overall return, but stocks and ETFs delivered a strong 16%.
• Staying invested through a 22% dip paid off with a full recovery in under four months.
• I am deliberately rebalancing away from crypto dominance by directing new contributions toward ETFs and stocks.
• Dividend income is growing and will accelerate as I add to positions like Emaar and continue contributing to Bondora.
• The $1 million portfolio target by 2030 remains on track.