In the 2020 COVID-19 stock-market crash, which U.S. index entered a bear market fastest from its record high?

In the 2020 COVID-19 stock-market crash, the Dow Jones Industrial Average entered a bear market fastest from its record high.

The Dow entered bear-market territory on March 11, 2020, after falling more than 20% from its February 12 record close. This happened in only 19 trading days, making it the fastest descent into a bear market from a record high in the Dow’s history at that time. The move reflected rapidly growing concern about the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects.

Travel restrictions, business closures, supply disruptions, and uncertainty about public-health policy caused investors to reassess earnings and economic activity. Oil prices also fell sharply after a breakdown in cooperation among major producers. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite likewise entered bear markets during March, while volatility reached extraordinary levels.

The crash was followed by a powerful rebound supported by fiscal stimulus, central-bank action, vaccine progress, and reopening expectations. The March 2020 decline is sometimes described as a single crash, but it was part of a broader pandemic shock affecting shares, commodities, credit, employment, and national economies.