The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached an intraday low of 9,872.57 during the 2010 Flash Crash. The level was reached on May 6, 2010, when U.S. markets experienced an exceptionally rapid and temporary plunge.
The Dow fell more than 1,000 points within minutes before recovering much of the loss. Investigations concluded that high-frequency trading, market conditions, and a large automated sell order contributed to the episode. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission later described how selling in one market interacted with automated trading across others.
The event differed from a conventional prolonged bear market because the sharpest decline and much of the rebound occurred within the same trading session. Many individual securities experienced bizarre prices, including some trades later canceled. The crash led to stronger circuit breakers and reforms designed to pause trading during extreme volatility.