The Nasdaq Composite was the main U.S. stock-market index associated with the speculative bubble that burst in the 2000 dot-com crash.
The Nasdaq Composite contains thousands of companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange and has a strong technology-company concentration. During the late 1990s, investors poured money into internet businesses, often valuing companies far above their profits, assets, or established business models.
The index reached an intraday peak of 5,132.52 on March 10, 2000. It then fell for more than two years as investors reassessed technology valuations and many internet companies failed or sharply reduced their operations.
The dot-com crash is sometimes confused with the broader 2000–2002 bear market. The Nasdaq was its clearest symbol, but major indexes such as the S&P 500 also declined, and the damage spread beyond internet startups.