Dow Jones History: Top Highs and Lows Since 1929

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What the market’s highs and lows mean for you

On Oct. 13, 2008, the Dow gains 936 points after governments and central banks pour money into the markets to jumpstart the global economy. Two weeks later, on Oct. 28, the Dow rises 889 points, fueled by optimism that the Federal Reserve would cut the interest rate. Record highs usually follow strong earnings, low interest rates, tech rallies, and economic growth. Central bank policy and investor optimism also play big roles.

The 2008 stock market crash was more dramatic than any other downturn in U.S. history. This was Best gold stock less than the 90% drop during the Great Depression. It took almost four years for the market to bottom out at that time. Record highs are driven by a mix of economic growth, lower inflation, strong corporate earnings, and investor confidence.

Many records were set in 2019, thanks partly to trade talks with China that boosted firms in the index. A November streak occurred after Donald Trump’s presidential win on Nov. 8. Traders were confident in a business-friendly Republican president.

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Learn more about what a prop firm is and how it can help you trade bigger during record-breaking market cycles. The Dow’s new high above 45,600 in August 2025 is impressive, but it’s part of a bigger global rally. The S&P 500, Nasdaq, Nikkei, and DAX all set records in 2025 too, fueled by strong tech earnings and hopes of lower rates. In the midst of a recession, the Dow has two milestone days of gains.

At the same time, the strength in the U.S. labor market meant extremely competitive wages driving consumer demand. Both of those factors sent inflation in the U.S. soaring to record levels not seen in over 40 years. This was the Dow’s third consecutive trading day with a record close and the fourth record closing in just two months.

  • In the autumn, it began to consistently close above 35,000 points, and by the last week in December 2021, it surpassed 36,000 points.
  • It began on Jan. 4, when the Dow closed 160 points lower as investors worried about a slowdown in China’s economic growth.
  • The S&P 500 has returned about 10.6% annually for the past 100 years, according to analysis from Trade That Swing.
  • Even so, the gains posted by Ambrx Biopharma (AMAM) in Friday’s session are unusual and particularly eye-catching.
  • Two weeks later, on Oct. 28, the Dow rises 889 points, fueled by optimism that the Federal Reserve would cut the interest rate.
  • Take a look at the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the course of its history and you also have a reliable history of the U.S. stock market.

Stock Market Crash

This high occurred only 42 trading sessions after closing above 19,000. That is the second-fastest rise in U.S. history (currently, the record is 24 sessions to go from 10,000 to 21,000 in 1999). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (the Dow) is an index of the 30 top-performing U.S. companies. The most recent all-time-high record (as of this writing) was on Jan. 4, 2022, when it closed at 36,799.65.

As of March 2022, the Dow Jones’s all-time high at market close was 36,799.65, which took place two months earlier, on Jan. 4, 2022. It climbed higher the following day to 36,952.65, but eventually closed below its all-time high. The Dow posted its all-time high during in December 2024, peaking at over 45,000 points. The new highs reflected optimism that the Federal Reserve would continue to cut interest rates and that the incoming administration would promote business growth. While you can’t directly buy shares in the market index, you can invest in the DJIA through index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA).

Dow Jones Highest Closing Records

Although the market’s 50% drop is less than the Great Depression’s 90% drop, it takes only 17 months to reach that low, compared to a period of four years in the 1930s. The Dow falls 13% in October 2008 and hits a new low for the year of 7,552.29 in November 2008. It reaches its lowest point of 6,594.44 on March 5, 2009 during a bear market. In recent years, investors have become accustomed to record highs for the Dow, but there have also been a few pronounced drops.

By mid-2025, the S&P 500 reached 5,680, and the Nasdaq hit 19,810—driven mainly by tech stocks. Conversely, an encouraging drop in inflation reported earlier this week helped to fuel this latest rally. Consumer prices rose 3.4% from last April – a decline from March’s 3.5% annual increase. The CME FedWatch Tool shows investors still expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates twice by the end of the year.

What Is the Highest the Dow Jones Has Ever Been? (August 2025 All-Time Highs & Records)

The Dow continuously moved higher eight months in a row (the last occurrence of this was in 1995). In 2019, the Dow hit two milestones and set 22 record closes. On July 3, the Dow hit a new high when the Trump administration announced it would resume trade negotiations with China, averting additional tariffs (taxes on imports). All these events created a lot of uncertainty for investors and the Dow bore the brunt of it, falling into a bear market in September 2022. Despite all time highs early in the year, six of the 20 worst-one day point losses for the Dow occurred in 2022.

A record high doesn’t mean the market will only go up or that it’s time to panic. The DJIA is a stock index that tracks 30 major U.S. companies, known as the “Dow 30.” It’s one of the best-known ways to measure the U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) just set a new record close of 45,631.74 on August 22, 2025.

We’ve included a few key shocks to the stock markets along these timelines in addition to the presidents who were in office. Admittedly the steady hands of the Federal Reserve chairs during those eras likely had greater sway over the success of the markets than whoever was in the White House. The Dow suffered a market correction between August 2015 and April 19, 2016, leading to a 2016 downturn. It began on Jan. 4, when the Dow closed 160 points lower as investors worried about a slowdown in China’s economic growth. The index had three nine-day runs, last occurring in 1955 (when there were four nine-day stretches).

The California-based chip maker on Wednesday added $330bn to its market capitalisation – blasting past the previous record it set in February with a $277bn single-day gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) hit its record high on May 16, 2024, reaching 40,051.05 points during intraday trading. The Dow’s all-time high at market close stands at 39,908.00, reached on May 15, 2024. The Dow’s most volatile period in recent history took place during the Great Recession of 2007–2008. On Oct. 9, 2007, the Dow hit a pre-recession high, closing at 14,164.53 despite growing concerns around the subprime mortgage crisis.

Fed policy plays a major role, lower interest rates often push the Dow higher. Active traders can also benefit by using prop firm funding to trade market momentum. 2022 started off strong with the Dow closing at 36,799.65 on Jan. 4, the fund’s highest close to date.

  • All these events created a lot of uncertainty for investors and the Dow bore the brunt of it, falling into a bear market in September 2022.
  • Titan Global Capital Management USA LLC (“Titan”) is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
  • The chart below shows four of those closing records, as they increase by the thousand.
  • The Dow fell 17% in three months, from 2,864.60 on Aug. 2 to 2,365.10 on Oct. 11, 1990.

The Dow kept hitting record highs in late 2024, reaching over 45,000 in December of that year. On Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers Holding, Inc. (an investment bank) declared bankruptcy. On Wednesday, panicky bankers withdrew $144 billion from money market funds, almost causing a collapse. The Dow’s activity broke new records in terms of downward movement in 2009.

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