The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) index dropped around ***** points in the four weeks from February 12 to March 11, 2020, but has since recovered and peaked at ********* 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 ****** 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 ***** points in the week from February 21 to February 28, which was a fall of **** 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.

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 ** 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 ** 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.

While the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused all major stock market indices to fall sharply in March 2020, both the extent of the decline at this time, and the shape of the subsequent recovery, have varied greatly. For example, on March 15, 2020, major European markets and traditional stocks in the United States had shed around ** percent of their value compared to January *, 2020. However, Asian markets and the NASDAQ Composite Index only shed around ** to ** percent of their value. A similar story can be seen with the post-coronavirus recovery. As of November 14, 2021 the NASDAQ composite index value was around ** percent higher than in January 2020, while most other markets were only between ** and ** percent higher. Why did the NASDAQ recover the quickest? Based in New York City, the NASDAQ is famously considered a proxy for the technology industry as many of the world’s largest technology industries choose to list there. And it just so happens that technology was the sector to perform the best during the coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, many of the largest companies who benefitted the most from the pandemic such as Amazon, PayPal and Netflix, are listed on the NADSAQ, helping it to recover the fastest of the major stock exchanges worldwide. Which markets suffered the most? The energy sector was the worst hit by the global COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, oil companies share prices suffered large declines over 2020 as demand for oil plummeted while workers found themselves no longer needing to commute, and the tourism industry ground to a halt. In addition, overall share prices in two major stock exchanges – the London Stock Exchange (as represented by the FTSE 100 index) and Hong Kong (as represented by the Hang Seng index) – have notably recovered slower than other major exchanges. However, in both these, the underlying issue behind the slower recovery likely has more to do with political events unrelated to the coronavirus than it does with the pandemic – namely Brexit and general political unrest, respectively.

Poland: Economic decline index, 0 (low) - 10 (high): The latest value from 2024 is 3.3 index points, a decline from 3.6 index points in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 5.54 index points, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for Poland from 2007 to 2024 is 3.94 index points. The minimum value, 3.3 index points, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 5 index points was recorded in 2010.

The average for 2024 based on 27 countries was 3.39 index points. The highest value was in Greece: 5.5 index points and the lowest value was in Denmark: 0.7 index points. The indicator is available from 2007 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The value of the DJIA index amounted to ****** at the end of June 2025, up from ********* 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 29, 2008, for instance, the Dow had a loss of ****** 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 ***** percent in one year, and 1933, year when the index registered a growth of ***** percent.

The average for 2024 based on 44 countries was 5.14 index points. The highest value was in Syria: 9.9 index points and the lowest value was in Qatar: 0.8 index points. The indicator is available from 2007 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2024 based on 47 countries was 7.28 index points. The highest value was in Sudan: 9.4 index points and the lowest value was in the Seychelles: 3.9 index points. The indicator is available from 2007 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

United States MBOS Diffusion Index: Prices Received: Decrease data was reported at 11.100 % in Apr 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.300 % for Mar 2020. United States MBOS Diffusion Index: Prices Received: Decrease data is updated monthly, averaging 6.800 % from May 1968 (Median) to Apr 2020, with 624 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 43.200 % in Dec 2008 and a record low of 0.000 % in Mar 2019. United States MBOS Diffusion Index: Prices Received: Decrease data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.S011: Third District Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

France: Economic decline index, 0 (low) - 10 (high): The latest value from 2024 is 3.5 index points, an increase from 3.4 index points in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 5.54 index points, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for France from 2007 to 2024 is 3.79 index points. The minimum value, 2.9 index points, was reached in 2007 while the maximum of 4.8 index points was recorded in 2015.

United States TMOS: Uncertainty Index: Decrease data was reported at 14.900 % in Apr 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.900 % for Mar 2020. United States TMOS: Uncertainty Index: Decrease data is updated monthly, averaging 11.950 % from Jun 2004 (Median) to Apr 2020, with 50 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.800 % in Jan 2018 and a record low of 5.700 % in Aug 2018. United States TMOS: Uncertainty Index: Decrease data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.S016: Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey.

Global competitiveness index of Chad slipped by 1.23% from 35.52 score in 2018 to 35.08 score in 2019. Since the 0.13% downward trend in 2018, global competitiveness index declined by 1.23% in 2019. Highest = the best.

In the 2023 edition of the globalization index, Switzerland had the highest index score at 90.75. Belgium followed behind, with the Netherlands in third. Overall, globalization declined in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but increased somewhat in 2021, even though it was still below pre-pandemic levels.

About the index

The KOF Index of Globalization aims to measure the rate of globalization in countries around the world. Data used to construct the 2023 edition of the index was from 2021. The index is based on three dimensions, or core sets of indicators: economic, social, and political. Via these three dimensions, the overall index of globalization tries to assess current economic flows, economic restrictions, data on information flows, data on personal contact, and data on cultural proximity within surveyed countries.

Defining globalization

Globalization is defined for this index as the process of creating networks of connections among actors at multi-continental distances, mediated through a variety of flows including people, information and ideas, capital and goods. It is a process that erodes national boundaries, integrates national economies, cultures, technologies and governance and produces complex relations of mutual interdependence.

The annual returns of the Nasdaq 100 Index from 1986 to 2024. fluctuated significantly throughout the period considered. The Nasdaq 100 index saw its lowest performance in 2008, with a return rate of ****** percent, while the largest returns were registered in 1999, at ****** percent. As of June 11, 2024, the rate of return of Nasdaq 100 Index stood at ** percent. The Nasdaq 100 is a stock market index comprised of the 100 largest and most actively traded non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. How has the Nasdaq 100 evolved over years? The Nasdaq 100, which was previously heavily influenced by tech companies during the dot-com boom, has undergone significant diversification. Today, it represents a broader range of high-growth, non-financial companies across sectors like consumer services and healthcare, reflecting the evolving landscape of the global economy. The annual development of the Nasdaq 100 recently has generally been positive, except for 2022, when the NASDAQ experienced a decline due to worries about escalating inflation, interest rates, and regulatory challenges. What are the leading companies on Nasdaq 100? In August 2023, ***** was the largest company on the Nasdaq 100, with a market capitalization of **** trillion euros. Also, ****************************************** were among the five leading companies included in the index. Market capitalization is one of the most common ways of measuring how big a company is in the financial markets. It is calculated by multiplying the total number of outstanding shares by the current market price.

Global competitiveness index of Finland slipped by 0.02% from 80.26 score in 2018 to 80.25 score in 2019. Since the 0.62% improve in 2018, global competitiveness index declined by 0.02% in 2019. Highest = the best.

Global competitiveness index of Australia slipped by 0.13% from 78.85 score in 2018 to 78.75 score in 2019. Since the 0.87% improve in 2018, global competitiveness index declined by 0.13% in 2019. Highest = the best.

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.

Prosperity index of United States of America slipped by 0.39% from 77.45 score in 2020 to 77.15 score in 2021. Since the 0.18% growth in 2019, prosperity index declined by 1.01% in 2021. the highest = the best

NASDAQ: Index: Total Return: NASDAQ US Benchmark Footwear Index data was reported at 3,261.610 NA in Apr 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,622.390 NA for Mar 2025. NASDAQ: Index: Total Return: NASDAQ US Benchmark Footwear Index data is updated monthly, averaging 3,322.630 NA from Jan 2012 (Median) to Apr 2025, with 160 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,710.100 NA in Nov 2021 and a record low of 1,011.190 NA in Jun 2012. NASDAQ: Index: Total Return: NASDAQ US Benchmark Footwear 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: NASDAQ: Total Return: Monthly.

Knowledge economy index of Denmark declined by 1.72% from 9.32 index in 2000 to 9.16 index in 2012. Since the 1.69% dip in 2000, knowledge economy index went down by 1.72% in 2012.