How many Dow points did the 2010 Flash Crash erase at its worst intraday moment?

The 2010 Flash Crash erased 998.5 Dow points at its worst intraday moment.

On May 6, 2010, United States stock markets experienced an exceptionally rapid plunge and partial recovery. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,000 points, or about 9%, within minutes before regaining much of the loss. Some individual securities briefly traded at extremely low prices.

Investigations by United States and British authorities concluded that automated trading and market conditions interacted in destabilizing ways. A large sell order in the futures market contributed to pressure, while high-frequency trading and reduced liquidity helped accelerate the decline. The exact event involved several linked mechanisms rather than one simple button press.

The crash led exchanges and regulators to strengthen circuit breakers, price bands, and monitoring systems. It is distinct from a conventional bear market: the defining feature was the speed of the collapse and recovery, not a prolonged deterioration in company fundamentals.