The biggest shifts occurred over a single week in August, as Congress debated the debt ceiling, the S&P lowered the country's credit rating, and reports showed the economy was lagging. But some positive news helped swing the pendulum so that by the Thursday after the initial drop, the market had made up a third of its losses for the week.
1
Aug. 8, 2011
-5.55%
Change in the DJIA:
Panic rules on the first trading day since the downgrade.
2
Aug. 10, 2011
-4.62%
Change in the DJIA:
Anxiety over possible credit downgrades in Europe; also Bank of America's CEO couldn't assuage investor concerns in a highly publicized conference call.
3
Aug. 4, 2011
-4.31%
Change in the DJIA:
Anticipation of a jobs report due the next day contributes to worries over the health of the U.S. economy.
4
Nov. 30, 2011
4.24%
Change in the DJIA:
The Federal Reserve, along with other central banks, made it cheaper for banks around the world to borrow U.S. dollars, helping to prop up the global economy.
5
Aug. 9, 2011
3.98%
Change in the DJIA:
The Federal Reserve pledges to keep interest rates low through 2013 on the day after the downgrade-inspired plummet.
6
Aug. 11, 2011
3.95%
Change in the DJIA:
New report shows a four-month low on initial jobless claims: plus strong earnings reported by some blue chips.
