The Nasdaq Composite reached its peak in March 2000 before the dot-com crash erased much of its value.
The index is heavily associated with technology and growth companies because it includes many firms listed on the Nasdaq stock market. During the late 1990s, investors bid up internet and telecommunications shares, often valuing companies on expected future expansion rather than current profits.
The Nasdaq Composite reached an intraday high of 5,132.52 on 10 March 2000. After the speculative bubble began to deflate, the index fell sharply through 2000 and the following years. The crash affected established technology companies as well as newer internet businesses, many of which failed or were acquired.
The Nasdaq Composite is not the same as the Nasdaq-100, which tracks 100 large non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq. That distinction matters when comparing historical peaks and percentage losses.