The 2020 global stock-market crash following the spread of COVID-19 was the COVID-19 crash.
Markets fell rapidly in February and March 2020 as governments introduced lockdowns, travel restrictions, and other measures to slow the new coronavirus. Investors feared a severe interruption to business activity, employment, trade, and energy demand.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average entered a bear market on March 11, 2020, and the S&P 500 reached its initial pandemic-era closing low on March 23. Central banks cut interest rates, bought assets, and provided emergency liquidity, while governments introduced large fiscal-support programs.
The crash also coincided with an oil-price dispute between Saudi Arabia and Russia, which intensified pressure on energy shares. Markets recovered strongly later in 2020, but the economic effects of the pandemic continued well beyond the initial stock-market rebound.