Because of the price-weighted calculation method, a $1 change in the price of a stock in the DJIA doesn’t equate to one point in the index since that depends on the Dow divisor at the time. As such, point moves are a way to measure the relative change in the index’s value. That said, when comparing the value of the DJIA over time, many financial sites, as we have done above, use an inflation-adjustment calculator such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor’s CPI since this gives the relative change over time. The largest single-day drop, percentage-wise, that the Dow has had occurred when the market crashed on Oct. 19, 1987, Black Monday.
Recession
A record high doesn’t mean the market will only go up or that it’s time to panic. These funds track the DJIA through a similar composition and weighting of stocks. The Dow tracks 30 large, publicly owned blue-chip companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. The selection is not based on strict quantitative criteria but rather on the decisions of the editors of the Wall Street Journal. Companies are chosen based on their reputation, growth, and relevance to the economy, with the aim of reflecting the overall health and trends of the industrial sector of the U.S. economy. Confidence that a recession could be averted continued into 2024.
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. A record high doesn’t mean “buy now” or “panic sell”—it’s just one milestone in the market’s long journey. The Dow fell 17% in three months, from 2,864.60 on Aug. 2 to 2,365.10 on Oct. 11, 1990. Kimberly Amadeo has 20 years of experience in economic analysis and business strategy. BrightFunded operates on a 2-step evaluation model to identify skilled traders.
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. Stock market gains since the 2008 financial crisis were mediocre in volume. Only three days traded more than 200 million shares, a level similar to the late 1990s.
- This surpassed the previous record of 45,014.04 from December 2024.
- By mid-2025, the S&P 500 reached 5,680, and the Nasdaq hit 19,810—driven mainly by tech stocks.
- Given its large-cap focus, the roster of companies included in the Dow fails to include companies of other sizes.
The Dow hit one milestone and had 26 closing records in 2016. Of the 26 records set that year, 17 occurred after the presidential election. The index’s 2016 closing high was 19,974.62, set on Dec. 20, 2016. It hit two of them in the first few weeks in January, closing above 25,000 on Jan. 4.
By Jan. 20, it closed at 15,766.74, as investors panicked over plummeting oil prices, the devaluation of the yuan, and turmoil in China’s stock market. But this robust start was not indicative of extreme volatility the index would face as the year progressed. First, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine saw gas prices spike sharply. At the same time, the strength in the U.S. labor market meant extremely competitive wages driving consumer demand.
📊 Top 5 Dow Jones Record Closes (Nov 2024 – Aug
Investors worried that China’s yuan devaluation and the uncertainty over the Fed’s rate increase would push the index further downward. The Dow responded with new highs throughout the latter part of 2019, even though trade negotiations had broken down until November. It hit a milestone on July 11, closing above 27,000, and then another on Nov. 15, closing above 28,000 (in the chart below, milestones are noted). Although the DJIA is currently at an all-time high, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. For example, during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Dow dropped dramatically, losing nearly 90% of its value.
Dow Jones Highest Closing Records
- It represents the performance of 30 large, publicly traded companies in the United States.
- Despite all time highs early in the year, six of the 20 worst-one day point losses for the Dow occurred in 2022.
- The selection is not based on strict quantitative criteria but rather on the decisions of the editors of the Wall Street Journal.
- Kimberly Amadeo has 20 years of experience in economic analysis and business strategy.
- It beat its January high, rising to 9,093.24 by the close of the day.
- The index closed above 18,000 on Dec. 23, and then closed its high for the year at 18,053.71 on Dec. 26.
Despite these setbacks, the DJIA has shown remarkable resilience, bouncing back from downturns to reach new highs. When answering what is the highest the Dow Jones has ever been, it’s essential to recognize that the market has gone through both ups and downs, but continues to grow over time. Find out about the record-breaking highs of the DJIA and the events behind its growth. Join MasterFunders today and start your trading career with real backing. From the Great Depression to COVID-19, but it has always bounced back to set new records. The August 2025 record is just the latest proof of that resilience.
In parentheses, when helpful, we provide the Dow’s points as inflation-adjusted to Feb. 23, 2024, for a relative comparison to its record highs. Stocks with higher prices (like UnitedHealth or Goldman Sachs) have more impact on the index than lower-priced stocks, even if they’re smaller companies. The close was just shy of a previous record close of 40,003 set on May 17.
Global Stock Market All-Time Highs – 2025
On Feb. 8, it entered a market correction when it fell 1,032.89 points to 23,860.46. The highest the Dow has ever been is a testament to the resilience and growth potential of the stock market. As investors, it is important to keep in mind that market highs and lows are part of the natural cycle. Despite occasional market downturns, the Dow has shown remarkable long-term growth throughout its history.
Over the past century, the Dow has consistently trended upward, reflecting the overall growth of the U.S. economy and the global markets. This long-term upward trend has made investing in the Dow an attractive option for many investors seeking capital appreciation over time. As investors, we are always curious about the highest points the market has ever reached. When it comes to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), there have been several significant milestones throughout history. The DJIA, often referred to simply as the Dow, is one of the most widely recognized stock market indices in the world. It represents the performance of 30 large, publicly traded companies in the United States.
Through much of 2022 and 2023, investors were cautious and bearish about equity markets as inflation rocketed. Then, in the last few months of 2023, investors began piling back in as hopes grew that interest rates would soon be cut and a nasty recession averted. By the end of 2023, the previous high, registered in January 2022, had been surpassed, and the 37,000 mark had been breached. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, also known as the Dow or DJIA, tracks 30 large, well-known companies that trade on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.
The index breached 26,000 on Jan. 17, then continued on to set 15 closing records in the rest of 2018. The one before that came on the final trading day of 2021, when Dow closed at 36,488.63 on Dec. 29, 2021, smashing the record it set on Nov. 8, 2021. The Dow witnessed a sharp decline in the end of November over fears of inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic, best financial stocks before resuming its quest to break more all-time high milestones. For active traders, record-breaking markets are full of opportunity. At MasterFunders, you can trade with firm capital instead of your own, scale accounts up to $1M+, and get payouts in as little as 7 days.
Timeline of Key Milestones
Uncertainty had been hanging over the markets because of the unprecedented refusal of the outgoing president, Donald Trump, to concede the election to President-elect Biden. When Trump began the transition process late in November, 2020, stocks roared back. The following are some milestones achieved by the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
While there are always pullbacks, the Dow has set new records after every major correction for over 100 years. See the top 10 highest closing values in Dow Jones history, including the record-breaking 45,014.04 set on December 4, 2024. Shares for most of the firms tracked by Dow rose in value on Friday, led by Intel (4.7%), IBM (2.8%) and Home Depot (2.6%), while shares for Walmart, Boeing and JPMorgan Chase fell slightly. “40,000 is a great milestone, but end of the day there isn’t much difference between 39,999 and 40k,” Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, said in a statement emailed Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average finished above 40,000 for the first time on Friday afternoon, doubling where the index hit shortly after Donald Trump became the 45th president. The easiest way to invest in the Dow may be to buy shares in State Street Global Advisors’ SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, which trades under the ticker symbol DIA.