In the 2015 Chinese stock-market crash, the Shanghai Composite reached its peak on June 12 before plunging.
The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks shares listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, closed at 5,178.19 on June 12, 2015. It then fell sharply over the following weeks. By July 9, the index had dropped by roughly one-third from that peak, despite emergency measures designed to support the market.
The turbulence followed a powerful rally in Chinese equities. Increased retail participation, margin financing, and expectations of continued economic growth helped drive prices higher. When confidence reversed, forced selling and concerns about leverage accelerated the decline. Chinese authorities responded with actions including trading suspensions, restrictions on some forms of selling, and support from state-linked institutions.
The Shanghai Composite is not the same as the Shenzhen Component or Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index. Those benchmarks also reflect important Chinese markets, but they cover different exchanges and groups of listed companies. The 2015 episode is often described as a stock-market correction or crash within a broader period of Chinese financial-market turbulence.