Which U.S. technology-heavy index lost about 78% from its 2000 peak to its 2002 trough?

The Nasdaq Composite lost about 78% from its 2000 peak to its 2002 trough.

The index reached 5,048.62 on March 10, 2000, at the height of the dot-com bubble. Investors had bid up internet and technology companies, including many firms with limited revenue or no profits, on expectations of rapid online growth.

After the peak, technology shares fell as earnings disappointed, speculative financing dried up, and many companies failed. The Nasdaq Composite reached a bear-market low of 1,114.11 on October 9, 2002. The decline from peak to trough was approximately 78 percent.

The Nasdaq was not the only major index affected: the S&P 500 also fell substantially. However, the Nasdaq’s concentration in technology and internet shares made it the clearest market barometer of the dot-com collapse.