The Shanghai Composite was the Chinese stock index at the center of the 2015 stock-market crash.
The index had risen rapidly during the first half of 2015, fueled by heavy participation from individual investors, margin borrowing, and expectations of continued economic growth. It reached a 2015 closing high of 5,178.19 on June 12 before entering a dramatic decline.
By late August, the Shanghai Composite had fallen by roughly 40% from that high. Chinese authorities responded with measures including trading restrictions, support for share purchases, and changes to market rules. The turmoil also affected global markets because investors feared that China’s slowdown and falling share prices would reduce demand and destabilize financial conditions.
The Shanghai Composite is not the same as the Shenzhen Component Index or the CSI 300. It tracks stocks listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, while those other benchmarks use different exchanges or selection methods. The 2015 episode is also separate from China’s 2016 circuit-breaker turmoil.