The global market crash that began in February 2020 as investors reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic was the COVID-19 crash.
Major stock indexes fell sharply as the spread of SARS-CoV-2 led governments to impose travel restrictions, business closures, and lockdowns. Concerns about economic contraction were intensified by a brief oil-price dispute between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average entered a bear market on 11 March 2020, and trading was halted several times by circuit breakers during the extreme volatility. On 16 March, the Dow fell nearly 3,000 points, its largest point drop at that time.
Central-bank support, fiscal stimulus, vaccine development, and the reopening of economies later helped markets recover. The crash is associated with the pandemic, but its economic effects varied substantially by country and industry.