History of Nasdaq Composite in Timeline

The Nasdaq Composite is a major U.S. stock market index encompassing nearly all stocks listed on the Nasdaq exchange. Highly monitored alongside the Dow and S&P 500, it's significantly weighted towards information technology companies. The Nasdaq-100, comprising the 100 largest non-financial firms within the Composite, represents approximately 80% of the index's overall weighting, thus demonstrating the influence of these large tech companies on the Nasdaq Composite's performance.

1971: Nasdaq Composite Launched

In 1971, the Nasdaq Composite was launched with an initial value of 100.

1991: Comparison to Nikkei 225 Bubble

The Nasdaq Composite reached a price-earnings ratio of 200 during the dot-com bubble era, dwarfing the peak price-earnings ratio of 80 for the Japanese Nikkei 225 during the Japanese asset price bubble of 1991.

July 17, 1995: Nasdaq Composite closes above 1,000

On July 17, 1995, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 1,000 for the first time, marking a significant milestone.

1995: Nasdaq Composite Rises During Dot-Com Bubble

From 1995 to 2000, the Nasdaq Composite rose 400% during the peak of the dot-com bubble.

1999: Stock Value Increases in 1999

In 1999, Qualcomm's shares rose in value by 2,619%, and 12 other large-cap stocks each rose over 1,000% in value. Additionally, seven other large-cap stocks each rose over 900% in value during 1999.

March 9, 2000: Reference Point for Recovery

The closing above 5,000 on March 2, 2015, was the first time the Nasdaq Composite had done so since March 9, 2000.

March 10, 2000: Nasdaq Composite Peaked

On March 10, 2000, the Nasdaq Composite reached its peak at 5,132.52 during the dot-com bubble.

September 7, 2000: Reference Point for Recovery

The closing above 4,000 on November 26, 2013, was the first time the Nasdaq Composite had done so since September 7, 2000.

2000: Nasdaq Composite Rises During Dot-Com Bubble

From 1995 to 2000, the Nasdaq Composite rose 400% during the peak of the dot-com bubble.

January 24, 2001: Reference Point for Recovery

The intra-day level reached on October 31, 2007, was the highest point since January 24, 2001, indicating a period of recovery before the 2007-2009 bear market.

October 10, 2002: Bear Market Bottom

On October 10, 2002, the Nasdaq Composite hit the bottom of its bear market trend, reaching an intra-day low of 1,108.49.

October 2002: Significant Drop from Peak

By October 2002, the Nasdaq Composite had fallen 78% from its peak value reached in March 2000.

March 24, 2003: Reference to Previous Decline

The 3.6% drop on September 15, 2008, was the Nasdaq Composite's worst single-session percentage decline since March 24, 2003.

2004: Nasdaq Composite Inclusion Criteria

In 2004, the criteria for a security to be included in the Nasdaq Composite required its U.S. listing to be exclusively on the Nasdaq stock market, unless it was dually listed on another U.S. market before 2004 and had continuously maintained that listing.

May 2007: Continued Market Downturn

The Nasdaq Composite remained down at least 50% until May 2007, following the bear market that bottomed out in October 2002.

October 9, 2007: Index Closed Above 2,800

On October 9, 2007, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 2,800, showing signs of recovery before the market downturn.

October 31, 2007: Highest Point Since January 2001

On October 31, 2007, the Nasdaq Composite reached an intra-day level of 2,861.51, marking the highest point since January 24, 2001.

February 6, 2008: Index Trades Below 2,300

By February 6, 2008, the Nasdaq Composite was trading below 2,300, reflecting market volatility.

September 15, 2008: Decline Due to Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy

On September 15, 2008, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers led to a 3.6% drop in the Nasdaq Composite, marking its worst single-session percentage decline since March 24, 2003.

September 29, 2008: Significant Drop in Index Value

On September 29, 2008, the Nasdaq Composite fell nearly 200 points, or 9.14%, dropping below 2,000, amid financial crisis concerns.

October 13, 2008: Significant Gain in Index Value

On October 13, 2008, the Nasdaq Composite gained nearly 200 points, increasing by more than 11%, reversing some of the previous losses.

March 9, 2009: Six-Year Intra-Day Low

On March 9, 2009, the Nasdaq Composite reached a six-year intra-day low of 1,265.52, marking a significant downturn.

2009: Bear Market

The period between 2007 and 2009 was marked by a bear market in the United States, impacting the Nasdaq Composite.

2012: Year-End Closing Value

The Nasdaq Composite closed 2012 at 3,019.51, showing gradual recovery post-recession.

November 26, 2013: Index Closed Above 4,000

On November 26, 2013, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 4,000 for the first time since September 7, 2000, indicating recovery after the dot-com bubble burst.

December 31, 2013: New Record Annual Close

On December 31, 2013, the Nasdaq Composite set a new record annual close of 4,176.59, although still almost 20% below its all-time highs.

March 2, 2015: Index Closed Above 5,000

On March 2, 2015, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 5,000 for the first time since March 9, 2000, reflecting continued recovery.

April 23, 2015: New Record Closing High

On April 23, 2015, the Nasdaq Composite set a new record closing high for the first time in 15 years, although it was still short of the all-time intraday high set in 2000.

January 2, 2018: Index Crosses 7,000 Intraday

On January 2, 2018, the Nasdaq Composite crossed 7,000 intraday, showing strong growth.

December 24, 2018: Yearly Low Plunge

By December 24, 2018, the Nasdaq Composite had plunged to its yearly low at 6,192, experiencing a significant drop.

2019: Index Rise

In 2019, the Nasdaq Composite rose 35.2%, closing for the year at 8,972.60 points, marking a significant recovery.

March 23, 2020: Low During Stock Market Crash

During the 2020 stock market crash, on March 23, 2020, the Nasdaq Composite hit a low of 6,860.

June 9, 2020: Index Traded Above 10,000

On June 9, 2020, the Nasdaq Composite traded above 10,000 for the first time, showing recovery from the earlier crash.

August 6, 2020: New All-Time High

On August 6, 2020, the Nasdaq Composite reached a new all-time high above 11,000, continuing its upward trajectory.

2021: Index Milestones

In 2021, the Nasdaq Composite reached the milestones of closing above 13,000 and 14,000 in January and February respectively, and in November it closed above 16,000 for the first time, marking a year of significant growth.

2022: Index Plunge and Worst First Half

In 2022, the Nasdaq Composite plunged through the beginning of the year, reaching an intraday low on June 16 at 10,565.14 and closed the first half of the year down 29.74%, the worst first half of the year in its history.