What date marked the 2020 stock-market crash's closing low for the S&P 500?
Answer
March 23, 2020
March 23, 2020, marked the 2020 stock-market crash's closing low for the S&P 500.
The S&P 500 closed at 2,237.40 on March 23, 2020, after a rapid collapse driven by the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. The downturn followed the index's record close on February 19 and occurred as governments introduced travel restrictions, business closures, and other measures to slow the virus's spread.
The decline became one of the fastest bear markets in modern history. The Federal Reserve announced extensive support for financial markets, while governments adopted large fiscal measures. Hopes for medical progress and economic reopening then helped produce a sharp rebound.
The March 23 closing low is different from the intraday low, which occurred during trading and was slightly lower. It is also different from the first day of the crash or the date the S&P 500 entered bear-market territory. Those distinctions explain why several dates appear in accounts of the 2020 collapse.