Which stock index became the main symbol of the dot-com crash from 2000 to 2002?

The Nasdaq Composite became the main symbol of the dot-com crash from 2000 to 2002.

The index contains thousands of stocks listed on the Nasdaq exchange and has a heavy concentration in technology and internet-related companies. During the late-1990s dot-com bubble, investors pushed valuations sharply higher despite many companies having little revenue or no profits.

The Nasdaq Composite reached a record closing level of 5,048.62 on March 10, 2000. After the bubble burst, technology shares plunged, startups failed, and venture funding contracted. The index eventually lost roughly four-fifths of its value from its peak before reaching a major low in October 2002.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 also declined during the period, but the Nasdaq’s technology weighting made its fall the clearest market indicator of the internet-stock collapse. The crash did not mean that every technology company failed.