As the markets continue their freefall, discussion of the Great Depression has begun to emerge. While economic conditions are nowhere near the levels they were back then (e.g., unemployment over 25% vs. 6% now), here is a look back at how the Dow fell over that dark period.
The Dow and the Great Depression
- The Dow peaked at 381.17 on 9/3/1929
- Crashed on 10/28-29 falling from 301 to 230 or 23.6%
- One year after the peak (9/3/1930) the Dow closed at 237.54, down 37.3% from its peak (vs. the 39% drop we saw as of yesterday's close from the 2007 peak)
- Continued to slide until 7/8/1932 where it bottomed at 41.22, down 89.2% of its value over 2.5 years
- The Dow did not cross above 381 again until 11/23/1954, over 25 years after its 1929 peak
