What 2020 global stock-market crash was triggered by the economic shock of COVID-19?

The 2020 global stock-market crash triggered by the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic was the COVID-19 crash.

As COVID-19 spread internationally, governments imposed travel restrictions, business closures, and other measures that sharply reduced economic activity. Investors rapidly reassessed corporate earnings, energy demand, supply chains, and the outlook for employment.

The S&P 500 entered a bear market on 12 March 2020, and major indexes reached their initial pandemic-era lows on 23 March. The Federal Reserve and other central banks cut interest rates or expanded asset purchases, while governments introduced large fiscal support programs.

The crash was unusually rapid, but markets later recovered strongly as policy support expanded and vaccine development progressed. The episode should be distinguished from the longer economic effects of the COVID-19 recession.