Which 1962 U.S. market collapse is nicknamed the Kennedy Slide?

The Kennedy Slide of 1962 was the sharp U.S. stock-market collapse that occurred during the first half of 1962.

The decline followed a long period of rising prices after the 1957 recession. By June 1962, investors were increasingly concerned about slowing economic growth, weak corporate earnings, and uncertainty surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s economic policies. The market’s fall accelerated in May and June.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a low of 535.76 on June 26, 1962. From its December 1961 high, the Dow lost roughly 27%, making the episode one of the most severe U.S. market declines since the 1929 crash. The name connected the event with Kennedy’s presidency, not with a separate exchange or company.

The market later recovered. The Kennedy Slide is also called the Flash Crash of 1962 in some accounts, but that label can be confused with later computer-driven market events, especially the 2010 Flash Crash.