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.

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.

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.

Key information about United States Market Capitalization: % of GDP

• United States Market Capitalization accounted for 155.0 % of its Nominal GDP in Dec 2022, compared with a percentage of 205.0 % in the previous year
• US Market Capitalization: % Nominal GDP is updated yearly, available from Dec 1975 to Dec 2022
• The data reached an all-time high of 205.0 % in Dec 2021 and a record low of 36.7 % in Dec 1978

Throughout the 1920s, prices on the U.S. stock exchange rose exponentially, however, by the end of the decade, uncontrolled growth and a stock market propped up by speculation and borrowed money proved unsustainable, resulting in the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. This set a chain of events in motion that led to economic collapse - banks demanded repayment of debts, the property market crashed, and people stopped spending as unemployment rose. Within a year the country was in the midst of an economic depression, and the economy continued on a downward trend until late-1932.

It was during this time where Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was elected president, and he assumed office in March 1933 - through a series of economic reforms and New Deal policies, the economy began to recover. Stock prices fluctuated at more sustainable levels over the next decades, and developments were in line with overall economic development, rather than the uncontrolled growth seen in the 1920s. Overall, it took over 25 years for the Dow Jones value to reach its pre-Crash peak.

On Monday, March 9, 2020, the Dow Jones and S&P 500 dropped significantly in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, causing the New York Stock Exchange to halt trading for 15 minutes. According to a recent survey, 21 percent of American adults believe that this COVID-19 related stock market drop will have a strong impact on the American economy in the long term.

Graph and download economic data for Index of Preferred Stock Prices, New York Stock Exchange for United States (M11008USM322NNBR) from Jan 1902 to May 1923 about New York, stock market, indexes, and USA.

In the first quarter of 2020, global stock indices posted substantial losses that were triggered by the outbreak of COVID-19. The period from March 6 to 18 was particularly dramatic, with several stock indices losing more than 20 percent of their value.

Worldwide panic hits markets From the United States to the United Kingdom, stock market indices suffered steep falls as the coronavirus pandemic created economic uncertainty. The Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 are two indices that track company performance in the United States, and both lost value as lockdowns were introduced in the country. European markets also recorded significant slumps, which triggered panic selling among investors. The FTSE 100 – the leading share index of companies in the UK – plunged by as much as 21 percent in the opening weeks of March 2020.

Is it time to invest in tech stocks? The S&P 500 is regarded as the best representation of the U.S. economy because it includes more companies from the leading industries. However, helped in no small part by its focus on tech companies, the Nasdaq 100 has risen in popularity and seen remarkable growth in recent years. Global demand for digital technologies has increased further due to the coronavirus, with remote working and online shopping becoming part of the new normal. As a result, more investors are likely to switch to the tech stocks listed on the Nasdaq 100.

New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Automobiles & Parts Index data was reported at 1,120.650 NA in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,477.780 NA for Jan 2025. New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Automobiles & Parts Index data is updated monthly, averaging 968.330 NA from Mar 2024 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,480.710 NA in Dec 2024 and a record low of 786.250 NA in May 2024. New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Automobiles & Parts Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Exchange Data International Limited. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EDI.SE: New York Stock Exchange: Dow Jones: Monthly.

Graph and download economic data for Stocks, Value of Shares Sold on the New York Stock Exchange for United States (M11003USM144NNBR) from Jan 1885 to Dec 1920 about stock market and USA.

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 Long Depression was, by a large margin, the longest-lasting recession in U.S. history. It began in the U.S. with the Panic of 1873, and lasted for over five years. This depression was the largest in a series of recessions at the turn of the 20th century, which proved to be a period of overall stagnation as the U.S. financial markets failed to keep pace with industrialization and changes in monetary policy. Great Depression The Great Depression, however, is widely considered to have been the most severe recession in U.S. history. Following the Wall Street Crash in 1929, the country's economy collapsed, wages fell and a quarter of the workforce was unemployed. It would take almost four years for recovery to begin. Additionally, U.S. expansion and integration in international markets allowed the depression to become a global event, which became a major catalyst in the build up to the Second World War. Decreasing severity When comparing recessions before and after the Great Depression, they have generally become shorter and less frequent over time. Only three recessions in the latter period have lasted more than one year. Additionally, while there were 12 recessions between 1880 and 1920, there were only six recessions between 1980 and 2020. The most severe recession in recent years was the financial crisis of 2007 (known as the Great Recession), where irresponsible lending policies and lack of government regulation allowed for a property bubble to develop and become detached from the economy over time, this eventually became untenable and the bubble burst. Although the causes of both the Great Depression and Great Recession were similar in many aspects, economists have been able to use historical evidence to try and predict, prevent, or limit the impact of future recessions.

Graph and download economic data for NASDAQ Composite Index (NASDAQCOM) from 1971-02-05 to 2025-03-24 about NASDAQ, composite, stock market, indexes, and USA.

New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Beverages Index data was reported at 977.060 NA in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 913.890 NA for Jan 2025. New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Beverages Index data is updated monthly, averaging 989.620 NA from Mar 2024 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,046.450 NA in Sep 2024 and a record low of 913.890 NA in Jan 2025. New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Beverages Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Exchange Data International Limited. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EDI.SE: New York Stock Exchange: Dow Jones: Monthly.

As of November 14, 2021, all S&P 500 sector indices had recovered to levels above those of January 2020, prior to full economic effects of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic taking hold. However, different sectors recovered at different rates to sit at widely different levels above their pre-pandemic levels. This suggests that the effect of the coronavirus on financial markets in the United States is directly affected by how the virus has impacted various parts of the underlying economy.

Which industry performed the best during the coronavirus pandemic?

Companies operating in the information technology (IT) sector have been the clear winners from the pandemic, with the IT S&P 500 sector index sitting at almost 65 percent above early 2020 levels as of November 2021. This is perhaps not surprising given this industry includes some of the companies who benefitted the most from the pandemic such as Amazon, PayPal and Netflix. The reason for these companies’ success is clear – as shops were shuttered and social gatherings heavily restricted due to the pandemic, online services such shopping and video streaming were in high demand. The success of the IT sector is also reflected in the performance of global share markets during the coronavirus pandemic, with tech-heavy NASDAQ being the best performing major market worldwide.

Which industry performed the worst during the pandemic?

Conversely, energy companies fared the worst during the pandemic, with the S&P 500 sector index value sitting below its early 2020 value as late as July 2021. Since then it has somewhat recovered, and was around 15 percent above January 2020 levels as of October 2021. This reflects the fact that many oil companies were among the share prices suffering the largest declines over 2020. A primary driver for this was falling demand for fuel fell in line with the reduction in tourism and commuting caused by lockdowns all over the world. However, as increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates throughout 2021 led to lockdowns being lifted and global tourism reopening, demand has again risen - reflected by the recent increase in the S&P 500 energy index.

The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index is an index of 500 leading publicly traded companies in the United States. In 2021, the index value closed at 4,766.18 points, which was the second highest value on record despite the economic effects of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2023, the index values closed at 4,769.83, the highest value ever recorded. What is the S&P 500? The S&P 500 was established in 1860 and expanded to its present form of 500 stocks in 1957. It tracks the price of stocks on the major stock exchanges in the United States, distilling their performance down to a single number that investors can use as a snapshot of the economy’s performance at a given moment. This snapshot can be explored further. For example, the index can be examined by industry sector, which gives a more detailed illustration of the economy. Other measures Being a stock market index, the S&P 500 only measures equities performance. In addition to other stock market indices, analysts will look to other indicators such as GDP growth, unemployment rates, and projected inflation. Similarly, since these indicators say something about the economic future, stock market investors will use these indicators to speculate on the stocks in the S&P 500.

The main stock market index in the United States (US500) decreased 193 points or 3.28% 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.

New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Pharmaceuticals Index data was reported at 950.890 NA in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 897.180 NA for Jan 2025. New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Pharmaceuticals Index data is updated monthly, averaging 548.375 NA from Jan 2012 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 158 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,004.200 NA in Aug 2024 and a record low of 281.970 NA in Jan 2012. New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Pharmaceuticals Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Exchange Data International Limited. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EDI.SE: New York Stock Exchange: Dow Jones: Monthly.

United States US: Market Capitalization: Listed Domestic Companies data was reported at 32,120.703 USD bn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 27,352.201 USD bn for 2016. United States US: Market Capitalization: Listed Domestic Companies data is updated yearly, averaging 11,322.354 USD bn from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2017, with 38 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32,120.703 USD bn in 2017 and a record low of 1,263.561 USD bn in 1981. United States US: Market Capitalization: Listed Domestic Companies data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Financial Sector. Market capitalization (also known as market value) is the share price times the number of shares outstanding (including their several classes) for listed domestic companies. Investment funds, unit trusts, and companies whose only business goal is to hold shares of other listed companies are excluded. Data are end of year values converted to U.S. dollars using corresponding year-end foreign exchange rates.; ; World Federation of Exchanges database.; Sum; Stock market data were previously sourced from Standard & Poor's until they discontinued their 'Global Stock Markets Factbook' and database in April 2013. Time series have been replaced in December 2015 with data from the World Federation of Exchanges and may differ from the previous S&P definitions and methodology.

United States New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Large Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index data was reported at 22,163.360 NA in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 23,135.480 NA for Jan 2025. United States New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Large Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index data is updated monthly, averaging 8,306.180 NA from Aug 2013 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 139 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23,135.480 NA in Jan 2025 and a record low of 4,002.470 NA in Aug 2013. United States New York Stock Exchange: Index: Dow Jones US Large Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Exchange Data International Limited. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EDI.SE: New York Stock Exchange: Dow Jones: Monthly.