Drawdowns & recovery

The global financial crisis

The S&P 500 fell about 57% peak-to-trough during the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.

What it means for your portfolio

Even broad markets can roughly halve in a severe crisis; size positions you could actually hold through one.

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The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell roughly 75-80% peak-to-trough in the 2000-2002 dot-com bust, and took around 15 years to reclaim its 2000 high.

The S&P 500 fell about 34% in roughly five weeks in Feb-Mar 2020, then recovered its prior high within about six months.

A 50% loss requires a 100% gain just to get back to where you started.

General information only, not financial advice. Historical figures are approximate and provided for education.