The statistic shows the worst days of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index from 1897 to 2024. The worst day in the history of the index was October 19 1987, when the index value decreased by 22.61 percent. The largest single day loss in points was on May 2, 2018.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted significant points losses due to the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. With stocks falling sharply, the Dow recorded its worst single-day points drop ever, plunging 2,997 points – nearly 13 percent – on March 16, 2020.

Boeing stock hits turbulence The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a stock market index that tracks the share prices of the top 30 U.S. companies. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, firms heavily dependent on travel and tourism had a particularly difficult start to the year. Due to lower production rates and the suspension of flights in the first quarter of 2020, Boeing’s revenue dropped to 16.9 billion U.S. dollars – this represented a year-on-year decline of 26 percent. However, in the second quarter of 2020, Boeing was one of the leading stocks in the DJIA index. Shares were boosted by the relaxing of travel restrictions and greater passenger confidence in flying.

Comparing market collapses Index points represent changes in the collective value of the 30 stocks in the DJIA, providing the general direction of the market. March 2020 was one of the most volatile months in the history of the stock index. Not only did the market record significant losses, but it also saw dramatic one-day points gains. Percentages can also be used to gain a deeper understanding of the true value gained or lost on the market. The largest single-day percentage loss in the history of the Dow remains ‘Black Monday’ in October 1987.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) index dropped around 8,000 points in the four weeks from February 12 to March 11, 2020, but has since recovered and peaked at 44,910.65 points as of November 24, 2024. In February 2020 - just prior to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the DJIA index stood at a little over 29,000 points. U.S. markets suffer as virus spreads The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a turbulent period for stock markets – the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also recorded dramatic drops. At the start of February, some analysts remained optimistic that the outbreak would ease. However, the increased spread of the virus started to hit investor confidence, prompting a record plunge in the stock markets. The Dow dropped by more than 3,500 points in the week from February 21 to February 28, which was a fall of 12.4 percent – its worst percentage loss in a week since October 2008. Stock markets offer valuable economic insights The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a stock market index that monitors the share prices of the 30 largest companies in the United States. By studying the performance of the listed companies, analysts can gauge the strength of the domestic economy. If investors are confident in a company’s future, they will buy its stocks. The uncertainty of the coronavirus sparked fears of an economic crisis, and many traders decided that investment during the pandemic was too risky.

March 24, 2020 saw the largest one-day gain in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), with the index increasing 2,112.98 points. This occurred approximately two weeks after the largest one-day point loss occurred on March 9, 2020, which was triggered by the growing panic about the coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

Index fluctuations

The DJIA is an index of 30 large companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange. It is one of the numbers that financial analysts watch closely, using it as a bellwether for the United States economy. Seeing when these large gains occur, as well as the largest one-day point losses, gives insight to why these fluctuations may occur. The gains in 2009 are likely adjustments after major losses during the Financial Crisis, but those in 2018 are probably signs of high market volatility.

Other leading financial indicators

While the DJIA is closely watched, it only gives insight on the performance of thirty leading U.S. companies. An index like the S&P 500, tracking 500 companies, can give a more comprehensive overview of the United States economy. Even so, this only reflects investment. Other parts of the economy, such as consumer spending or unemployment rate are not well reflected in stock market indices.

The value of the DJIA index amounted to 43,191.24 at the end of March 2025, up from 21,917.16 at the end of March 2020. Global panic about the coronavirus epidemic caused the drop in March 2020, which was the worst drop since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Dow Jones Industrial Average index – additional information The Dow Jones Industrial Average index is a price-weighted average of 30 of the largest American publicly traded companies on New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, and includes companies like Goldman Sachs, IBM and Walt Disney. This index is considered to be a barometer of the state of the American economy. DJIA index was created in 1986 by Charles Dow. Along with the NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500 indices, it is amongst the most well-known and used stock indexes in the world. The year that the 2018 financial crisis unfolded was one of the worst years of the Dow. It was also in 2008 that some of the largest ever recorded losses of the Dow Jones Index based on single-day points were registered. On September 29th of 2008, for instance, the Dow had a loss of 106.85 points, one of the largest single-day losses of all times. The best years in the history of the index still are 1915, when the index value increased by 81.66 percent in one year, and 1933, year when the index registered a growth of 63.74 percent.

View data of the S&P 500, an index of the stocks of 500 leading companies in the US economy, which provides a gauge of the U.S. equity market.

Graph and download economic data for Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from 2015-03-27 to 2025-03-26 about stock market, average, industry, and USA.

The main stock market index in the United States (US500) decreased 176 points or 2.99% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from United States. United States Stock Market Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

Between March 2020 and August 2024, four of the biggest one-day losses on the Nasdaq Composite Index occurred in the first half of 2020. The worst day was March 16, 2020, when the index fell by 12.32 percent. The 25 worst days in terms of losses were spread across 2020 and 2022. This index includes the Big Five tech giants - Apple, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Meta, and Microsoft - as well as many other technology-focused companies.

The main stock market index in Japan (JP225) decreased 2147 points or 5.38% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Japan. Japan Stock Market Index (JP225) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

The main stock market index in Hong Kong (HK50) increased 3587 points or 17.88% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Hong Kong. Hong Kong Stock Market Index (HK50) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is (DJIA) is possibly the most well-known and commonly used stock index in the United States. It is a price-weighted index that assesses the stock prices of 30 prominent companies, whose combined prices are then divided by a regularly-updated divisor (0.15199 in February 2021), which gives the index value. The companies included are rotated in and out on a regular basis; as of mid-2022, the longest mainstay on the list is Procter & Gamble, which was added in 1932; whereas Amgen, Salesforce, and Honeywell were all added in 2020. As one of the oldest indices for stock market analysis, the impact of major events, recessions, and economic shocks or booms can be tracked and contextualized over longer periods of time.

Due to inflation, unadjusted figures appear to be more sporadic in recent years, however the greatest fluctuations came in the earliest years of the index. In the given period, the greatest decline came in the wake of the Wall Street Crash in 1929; by 1932 average values had fallen to just one fifth of their 1929 average, from roughly 314 to 65.

The main stock market index in Germany (DE40) increased 2823 points or 14.18% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Germany. Germany Stock Market Index (DE40) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

Over the course of their first terms in office, no U.S. president in the past 100 years saw as much of a decline in stock prices as Herbert Hoover, and none saw as much of an increase as Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) - these were the two presidents in office during the Great Depression. While Hoover is not generally considered to have caused the Wall Street Crash in 1929, less than a year into his term in office, he is viewed as having contributed to its fall, and exacerbating the economic collapse that followed. In contrast, Roosevelt is viewed as overseeing the economic recovery and restoring faith in the stock market played an important role in this.

By the end of Hoover's time in office, stock prices were 82 percent lower than when he entered the White House, whereas prices had risen by 237 percent by the end of Roosevelt's first term. While this is the largest price gain of any president within just one term, it is important to note that stock prices were valued at 317 on the Dow Jones index when Hoover took office, but just 51 when FDR took office four years later - stock prices had peaked in August 1929 at 380 on the Dow Jones index, but the highest they ever reached under FDR was 187, and it was not until late 1954 that they reached pre-Crash levels once more.

Long term historical dataset of the NASDAQ Composite stock market index since 1971. Historical data is inflation-adjusted using the headline CPI and each data point represents the month-end closing value. The current month is updated on an hourly basis with today's latest value.

The main stock market index in France (FR40) increased 650 points or 8.81% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from France. France Stock Market Index (FR40) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

There have been ups and downs in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index (DJIA). Some years brought as much as 30 percent of decrease in its value. Great Recession, however, took the largest toll on the Dow. In 1931, the index lost 52.67 percent of its value.

Index history

Dow Jones Industrial Average index (DJIA) is one of the most important stock market indices worldwide. It was created in 1896 by Charles Dow and Edward Jones. DJIA is the second oldest U.S. stock index after the Dow Jones Transportation Average, which was established in 1984.

Index components

DJIA reflects the performance of thirty large U.S. publicly traded companies. When the index was created, it was primarily composed of industrial companies, hence the index name. With time, the economic situation in the U.S. has changed and apart from industrial companies, which played a huge role in the market in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, also companies from other leading industries were incorporated into the index. At present, the DJIA index is composed of most renowned U.S. corporations, such as Coca Cola, Microsoft or Walt Disney.

China: Stock market capitalization w/o top 10 firms, percent of total market cap: The latest value from 2020 is 63.36 percent, a decline from 86.95 percent in 2019. In comparison, the world average is 47.89 percent, based on data from 28 countries. Historically, the average for China from 2001 to 2020 is 76.42 percent. The minimum value, 60.59 percent, was reached in 2006 while the maximum of 91.03 percent was recorded in 2017.

Chile: Stock market capitalization w/o top 10 firms, percent of total market cap: The latest value from 2020 is 54.56 percent, a decline from 55 percent in 2017. In comparison, the world average is 47.89 percent, based on data from 28 countries. Historically, the average for Chile from 1998 to 2020 is 54.84 percent. The minimum value, 48.03 percent, was reached in 2003 while the maximum of 59.9 percent was recorded in 2000.

The main stock market index in Russia (MOEX) increased 264 points or 9.16% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Russia. Russia Stock Market Index MOEX CFD - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.