Apr 23 2009
When was the biggest percentage gains in stocks?
A lot of focus has been on how miserable the 1929 depression was, and how this time it will be like that as well. But what is not considered is that some of the largest gains were also had in that period. So, before you start screaming woe is me, take a look at the opportunities.
From USA today
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/krantz/2009-04-23-biggest-dow-gains_N.htm?csp=34
The biggest percentage gains in stocks? Try the 1930s
Q: What were the biggest gaining days in stock market history?
A: Now that 100-point swings by the Dow Jones industrial average are pretty common, it’s important to have a good historical perspective.
The first thing to understand about how important a swing is in the Dow, or any market measure, is that it’s usually best to look at the percentage gain or loss rather than the point change.
By paying attention to a percentage move, you can truly understand how significant a move is relative to its current value.
To put today’s rallies into perspective, you’ll need some historical data on the big percentage gains of the past. For this type of analysis, it can be useful to use the Dow, because it has such a long history.
You’ll see that the Dow’s biggest one-day percentage gain occurred March 15, 1933, when it rose 15.34% on an 8.26 point rise. The next biggest gain was 14.87% on Oct. 6, 1931. This century doesn’t show up until No. 5.
