The speed of the stock market plunge over the last six weeks has left both the general public and even market experts in a state of shellshock. February and March 2020 will go down in history as containing the fastest descent into bear market territory on record. In only sixteen sessions, the S&P 500 went from its last closing high (on February 19), to a more than 20% drop from that peak. Furthermore, to hit a 30% decline it took just 19 sessions. Both the stock market crash of 1929 and infamous October 1987 took a much-longer 55 days to reach the same milestone. Chart from Knox Ridley via Marketwatch.com.
Shell shocked
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March 30, 2020