What date marked the S&P 500's record high immediately before the COVID-19 market crash?
Answer
February 19, 2020
February 19, 2020, marked the S&P 500's record high immediately before the COVID-19 market crash.
The index closed at 3,386.15 on that date. Investors were still pricing in strong economic activity, even as the novel coronavirus had begun disrupting parts of China and raising concern about international travel and supply chains. The market then fell rapidly as the pandemic spread and governments introduced restrictions.
The S&P 500 entered a bear market in March 2020, meaning a decline of at least 20% from its recent closing high. Extraordinary central-bank actions, fiscal support, vaccine progress, and expectations of economic reopening helped fuel a powerful rebound later in the year.
February 19 is the pre-crash peak, while March 23 marks the 2020 closing low. Those dates describe different stages of the same episode and are often confused when the crash is summarized.