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.

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 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 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.

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 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.

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.

This statistic presents the development of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index from 1986 to 2023. The 2023 year-end value of Dow Jones Industrial Average index amounted to 37,689.54. What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average index? Along with the NASDAQ 100 index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is amongst the most well-known and used stock indexes in the world. DJIA index was created in 1985 by Charles Dow. It is second oldest U.S. index and one of the most important U.S. stock market indices. It reflects the performance of 30 of the most influential U.S. based companies from various industries, such as JPMorgan Chase, IBM and Walt Disney traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. Performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average The year that the financial crisis unfolded, 2008, was one of the worst years of the Dow. It was also in 2008 that some of the largest ever recorded losses of the DJIA based on single-day points were registered. On September 29th of 2008, for instance, the Dow had a loss of 106.85 points, the third largest single-day loss of all times. Since 2008 the index has generally been increasing, registering a high of 28,538.44 in 2019 before the economic effects of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused both the largest single-day losses, and largest single-day gains of the DJIA.

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.

Prices for United States Stock Market Index (US30) including live quotes, historical charts and news. United States Stock Market Index (US30) was last updated by Trading Economics this March 26 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.

The S&P 500 index dropped significantly between January 3 and September 9, 2022. As of January 3, the index stood at 4,796.56 points, and it dropped approximately 15 percent by September 2022. In February 2024, the daily value of the S&P 500 increased over 5,500 and reached 5,842.47 as of October 16 of the same year.

Euro Stoxx 50 is the index designed by STOXX, a globally operating index provider headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, which in turn is owned by Deutsche Börse Group. This index provides the broad representation of the Eurozone blue chips performance. Blue chips are corporations known on the European market for quality, reliability and the ability to operate profitably both in good and bad economic times.
Development of the Euro Stoxx 50 index The year-end value of the Euro Stoxx 50 peaked in 1999, with 4,904.46 index points. It noted significant decrease between 1999 and 2002, then an increase to 4,399.72 in 2007, prior to the global recession. Since the very sharp decline in 2008, there was a tentative increase, never yet reaching the pre-recession levels. As of the end of 2021, the Euro Stoxx 50 index was getting close to its historical heights, reaching 4,298.41 points, its highest position post recession, before falling again in 2022. In 2023 and 2024, the index rose again, reaching 4,862.28 points. Some of the following reputable companies formed the Euro Stoxx 50 index: Adidas, Airbus Group, Allianz, BMW, BNP Paribas, L'Oréal, ING Group NV, Nokia, Phillips, Siemens, Société Générale SA or Volkswagen Group.
European financial stock exchange indices Other European indices include the DAX (Deutscher Aktienindex) index and the FTSE 100 (Financial times Stock Exchange 100 index). FTSE, informally known as the “Footsie”, is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with the highest market capitalization. The Index, which began in January 1984 with the base level of 1,000, reached 7,733.24 at the closing of 2023. More in-depth information can be found in the report on stock market indices.

The main stock market index in China (SHANGHAI) increased 22 points or 0.66% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from China. China Shanghai Composite Stock Market Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

Between March 4 and March 11, 2020, the S&P 500 index declined by twelve percent, descending into a bear market. On March 12, 2020, the S&P 500 plunged 9.5 percent, its steepest one-day fall since 1987. The index began to recover at the start of April and reached a peak in December 2021. As of December 29, 2024, the value of the S&P 500 stood at 5,942.47 points. Coronavirus sparks stock market chaos Stock markets plunged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with investors fearing its spread would destroy economic growth. Buoyed by figures that suggested cases were leveling off in China, investors were initially optimistic about the virus being contained. However, confidence in the market started to subside as the number of cases increased worldwide. Investors were deterred from buying stocks, and this was reflected in the markets – the values of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite also dived during the height of the crisis. What is a bear market? A bear market occurs when the value of a stock market suffers a prolonged decline of more than 20 percent over a period of at least two months. The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe concern and sent stock markets on a steep downward spiral. The S&P 500 achieved a record closing high of 3,386 on February 19, 2020. However, just over three weeks later, the market closed on 2,480, which represented a decline of around 26 percent in only 16 sessions.

The main stock market index in the United Kingdom (GB100) increased 479 points or 5.86% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from United Kingdom. United Kingdom Stock Market Index (GB100) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

The main stock market index in Canada (TSX) increased 472 points or 1.91% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Canada. Canada Stock Market Index (TSX) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

As of August 2020, the S&P 500 index had lost 34 percent of its value due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Great Crash, which began with Black Tuesday, remains the most significant loss in value in its history. That market crash lasted for 300 months and wiped 86 percent off the index value.

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.