Top 15 For 2008 (No. 4): Global Stocks In Free Fall

StreetInsider.com has put together its 'Top 15 For 2008' which chronicles our view of the most significant news on Wall Street during the tumultuous year.

Number 4: Global Stocks In Free Fall

With credit market frozen and fears of a deep global recession, 2008 was easily one of the worst years for global stock markets EVER!

In fact, the S&P 500 ended 2008 down 38.5%, its third-worst year ever. 1931 was the worst year for the S&P 500 with a decline of 47.1% and 1937 was second-worse with a decline of 38.6%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 2008 down 33.8%, its worst year since 1931 and its third-worst year ever. The 1931 decline was 52.7% and 1907, the second-worst year, saw a 37.7% decline.

Foreign markets suffered similar declines in 2008:

- Japan's NIKKEI was down 29%
- Germany's DAX was down 43%
- France's CAC-40 was down 45%
- Europe's Dow Jones STOXX 50 was down 46%
- Taiwan TAIEX was down 47%
- Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 48%
- Sweden's OMX Stockholm 30 was down 49%
- UK's FTSE 100 was down 49%
- Pakistan's Karachi 100 fell 67%
- Dubai's Financial Market General Index was down 72%
- Russian Trading System Index $ was down 72%
- Iceland's OMX Iceland 15 was down 97.1%

You May Also Be Interested In

• Orgenesis (ORGS) Files $100M Mixed Shelf
• Citi: 'Very high likelihood' of a positive Q1 EPS surprise
• Scorpius Holdings (SCPX) Receives Nasdaq Filing Delinquency Notification