Dow Losses

I find it interesting (and depressing) to look at the all-time Dow Jones Industrial Average largest point and percentage losses. The recent losses have been bad news for most people’s 401Ks. The tables show only the largest one-day losses between a given day’s close and the close of the previous trading day.

Notice that the top point losses all are from 1997 onwards whereas only three of the the top ten percentage losses are from 1987 onwards. As a percentage loss, 2008 only appears in ninth place but takes first, second, fourth, and fifth places in point losses.

Further, the last ten years have claimed eight of the ten highest point losses with half of the top ten taking place in 2008.

Dow Top Ten Largest Daily Point Losses

Click ONCE on column headers to sort.

Rank	Date	Close	Change	% Change
1	9/29/2008	10365.45	-777.68	-6.98
2	10/15/2008	8577.91	-733.08	-7.87
3	9/17/2001	8920.7	-684.81	-7.13
4	12/1/2008	8,149.09	-679.95	-7.70
5	10/9/2008	8579.19	-678.91	-7.33
6	8/8/2011	10809.85	-634.76	-5.55
7	4/14/2000	10305.78	-617.77	-5.66
8	10/27/1997	7161.14	-554.26	-7.18
9	8/10/2011	10719.94	-519.83	-4.62
10	10/22/2008	8519.21	-514.45	-5.69

 

Dow Top Ten Largest Daily Percentage Losses

Click ONCE on column headers to sort.

Rank	Date	Close	Change	% Change
1	10/19/1987	1738.74	-508	-22.61
2	10/28/1929	260.64	-38.33	-12.82
3	10/29/1929	230.07	-30.57	-11.73
4	11/6/1929	232.13	-25.55	-9.92
5	12/18/1899	58.27	-5.57	-8.72
6	8/12/1932	63.11	-5.79	-8.4
7	3/14/1907	76.23	-6.89	-8.29
8	10/26/1987	1793.93	-156.83	-8.04
9	10/15/2008	8577.91	-733.08	-7.87
10	7/21/1933	88.71	-7.55	-7.84

 

Source

For more tables of the Dow largest point and percentage losses see Wikipedia.

Photo Credit

Bear Market by Mark Rain.

Updates

Added a 679.95 point loss for December 1, 2008.
Added a 634.76 point loss for August 8, 2011.
Added a 519.83 point loss for August 10, 2011.