how much is the stock market down in 2025

Lead summary

The question "how much is the stock market down in 2025" has two parts: a year‑to‑date (YTD) performance read and the size of short‑term, event‑driven drawdowns (peak‑to‑trough). This guide quantifies both for major U.S. indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, Dow Jones Industrial Average), explains the April 2025 crash episode and later recovery, and cites primary market-data sources (MarketWatch, WSJ, CNBC, AP, and the Wikipedia summary of the April 2025 crash). Readers will get clear metrics (YTD percent change, maximum drawdown, single‑day losses), a timeline of key events, sector impacts, investor reactions, and recommended next steps including where to track real‑time markets — with Bitget suggested for crypto traders and Bitget Wallet for custody of Web3 assets.

Note on phrasing: this article repeatedly addresses the search phrase "how much is the stock market down in 2025" to make the quantitative picture explicit and easy to find.

Overview of 2025 market performance

As investors asked "how much is the stock market down in 2025" during and after the April shock, market-data through late 2025 showed a mix of sharp intrayear volatility and a resilient rally by year end. As of Dec. 22, 2025, broad indexes had recovered and then extended gains: the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were positive for the year, with reported YTD returns of roughly +14% (Dow), +17% (S&P 500) and +21% (Nasdaq) according to aggregated market coverage published Dec. 22–29, 2025 (MarketWatch / Motley Fool summary referencing index closes through Dec. 22, 2025). These late‑year levels followed a deep but brief April decline that produced one of 2025’s most dramatic intraday and multi‑day losses.

High level takeaways:

• The dominant story of 2025 was volatility: a sharp April shock followed by a multi‑month rally led by mega‑cap tech, AI‑related names and data‑center beneficiaries.
• For many investors the relevant answer to "how much is the stock market down in 2025" depends on the metric: year‑to‑date return versus peak‑to‑trough drawdown. YTD was positive late in the year; maximum drawdowns during the year were significant but short lived.
• Major news outlets (CNBC, AP, WSJ) documented the daily moves and the April crisis; index pages on MarketWatch and WSJ provide the numeric time series used to calculate exact percentages.

Sources for this section: MarketWatch index pages (accessed Dec. 22–29, 2025), WSJ market data (accessed Dec. 29, 2025), CNBC and AP daily market summaries (Dec. 2025), and the Wikipedia page summarizing the April 2025 crash (accessed Dec. 2025).

Key indices — quantitative measures of decline

When people ask "how much is the stock market down in 2025" we measure declines using three standard metrics:

• Year‑to‑date (YTD) percentage change: closing level on a given date vs. index close on Dec. 31, 2024.
• Peak‑to‑trough (maximum drawdown): the largest % decline from a recent high to the following low within 2025.
• Single‑day and multi‑day losses: the largest one‑day drops and multi‑day cumulative declines tied to specific events.

Primary indices considered:

• S&P 500 (large‑cap U.S. equities benchmark)
• Nasdaq Composite (tech and growth‑heavy index)
• Dow Jones Industrial Average (30 blue‑chip U.S. companies)
• Russell 2000 (small caps)
• CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) for volatility spikes

All quantitative figures below are cited to MarketWatch/WSJ/CNBC/AP daily reports and index data pages; where a date is used the source and date are specified so readers can verify.

S&P 500

• Short answer to the search intent: when users ask "how much is the stock market down in 2025" for the S&P 500 they mean both the YTD swing and the maximum drawdown. As of the Dec. 22, 2025 close, the S&P 500 was reported up roughly 17% YTD (source: market summaries compiled Dec. 22, 2025).

• Peak‑to‑trough: the S&P 500 experienced a sharp multi‑day decline in early April 2025. Based on intraday index readings and MarketWatch historical quotes (April 2–4, 2025), peak‑to‑trough drawdowns during that episode ranged in the high single digits into the low double digits for the S&P 500 (for precision consult MarketWatch SPX historical daily values; example dates: index high in late March 2025, low in early April 2025).

• Single‑day losses: early April one‑day moves included several sessions with 2%–4% drops on major U.S. indices and elevated trading volumes (CNBC and AP coverage, Apr. 2–4, 2025).

Nasdaq Composite

• YTD performance: late‑Dec. 2025 coverage reported the Nasdaq Composite up about 21% YTD as of Dec. 22, 2025 (source: aggregated market reporting Dec. 22, 2025).

• Peak‑to‑trough: Nasdaq’s tech concentration meant the April shock produced outsized intraday volatility in technology and AI‑exposed names. Peak‑to‑trough drawdown for Nasdaq during the April episode reached low‑teens percentage points in some calculations (MarketWatch IXIC historical data, Apr. 2025).

• Single‑stock and sector swings: the Nasdaq saw larger single‑day rebounds and selloffs in the months after April as investors re‑priced AI winners (see sector section below).

Dow Jones Industrial Average

• YTD performance: the Dow was reported up roughly 14% YTD as of Dec. 22, 2025 (source: Dec. 22, 2025 market summary).

• Peak‑to‑trough: being more concentrated in industrial and cyclical names the Dow’s drawdown profile differed, with peak‑to‑trough declines during the April episode generally smaller than Nasdaq’s in percentage terms but still meaningful in dollar terms for households with Dow‑heavy exposure (MarketWatch DJI historical data, Apr. 2025).

Other indices and volatility benchmarks

• Russell 2000 (small caps): experienced deeper drawdowns at times in 2025 and was more volatile through the April event compared to large‑cap indices (MarketWatch Russell data, 2025).

• VIX (CBOE Volatility Index): spiked significantly during the April shock — a common pattern in event‑driven selloffs — indicating elevated fear and option‑market hedging demand (CBOE/MarketWatch volatility data, Apr. 2025).

Major market events and their effect on declines

When answering "how much is the stock market down in 2025" it helps to separate steady declines from event‑driven collapses. 2025 featured a major short‑term event in early April, plus recurring sensitivity to policy and macro announcements across the year.

April 2025 crash (peak‑to‑trough and immediate aftermath)

• What happened: between Apr. 2–4, 2025, major U.S. equity indexes experienced a rapid selloff. Contemporary reporting summarized the episode as an abrupt price correction tied to sudden tariff/trade‑policy announcements and a cascade of stop orders and algorithmic selling (Wikipedia summary of the April 2025 crash; CNBC and AP coverage Apr. 2025).

• Quantified impact: across those sessions, the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow each suffered multi‑day declines that produced one of the largest short‑term drops of 2025. Exact peak‑to‑trough percentages vary by index and timeframe; example: intraday S&P 500 drawdowns in that window approached double digits on a peak‑to‑trough basis for some timing conventions (MarketWatch SPX intraday/historical pages, Apr. 2025).

• Immediate aftermath: volatility surged, VIX spiked, and market breadth narrowed as growth/AI leaders initially underperformed then recovered. Market commentators cited liquidity dynamics, algorithmic order flows, and the surprise nature of the policy announcement as amplifiers (CNBC, AP, Apr. 2025).

Note: this summary focuses on measurable market effects (index moves, volatility) rather than political actors.

Policy announcements, tariffs and trade tensions

• Policy surprises and trade‑policy shifts in early April were a catalyst. Rapid market repricing to newly signaled trade frictions caused short‑lived shocks across equities, commodities and currency markets in April 2025 (market coverage Apr. 2025).

• Fed policy and rate expectations: later in 2025, three consecutive 25‑basis‑point rate cuts by the Federal Reserve toward year end (reported in Dec. 2025 coverage) were a material driver of the sustained rally into December, as markets priced easier financial conditions (Wall Street coverage Dec. 2025).

Macro and economic indicators

• Recession risk, inflation prints, and employment reports influenced the path of recovery after April. Positive growth and strong corporate earnings in many sectors supported the rebound; negative surprises in data increased drawdown risk in pockets (MarketWatch, WSJ, CNBC coverage across 2025).

Timeline of 2025 market declines (selected dates)

Below is a concise, dated timeline of major moves that clarify "how much is the stock market down in 2025" in terms of event timing and percent moves.

• Late March 2025: major U.S. indices at local highs entering April (MarketWatch daily closes, Mar. 2025).
• Apr. 2–4, 2025: rapid selloff; multi‑day drawdowns for S&P, Nasdaq, Dow with intraday moves of several percent per session and combined peak‑to‑trough declines in the high single digits to low double digits depending on index calculation (CNBC, AP, Apr. 2025; MarketWatch historical data).
• Mid‑April 2025: volatility remained elevated; some bargain buying from institutional accounts began as analysts weighed fundamentals versus headline risk (WSJ analysis, Apr. 2025).
• Summer–Fall 2025: a broad rally led by large‑cap technology and AI‑related companies drove indices positive YTD by autumn (MarketWatch/WSJ reporting, Jul.–Nov. 2025).
• Dec. 22–29, 2025: year‑end snapshot — S&P +17% YTD, Nasdaq +21% YTD, Dow +14% YTD (reported Dec. 22–29, 2025 market summaries).

For a full day‑by‑day event table consult MarketWatch and WSJ index history pages (date‑stamped entries) to compute exact percentage moves for your preferred time window.

Sector and stock‑level effects

Which sectors explained "how much is the stock market down in 2025" during episodes of decline and recovery?

• Technology and AI infrastructure: the April shock hit high‑growth tech but also set the stage for a rotation back into AI beneficiaries. Companies tied to cloud computing, data centers and AI chips (e.g., major chip makers and large cloud vendors) showed the biggest intrayear swings. For example, the AWS and cloud growth narrative for some large-cap companies supported market rebounds in the back half of the year (corporate earnings coverage, Q3 2025).

• Semiconductors: highly cyclical and tied to AI demand, semiconductor stocks exhibited outsized volatility and drove much of Nasdaq’s behavior.

• Financials and cyclicals: sensitive to interest‑rate expectations; these sectors underperformed during rapid risk‑off moves and outperformed when rate easing seemed likely later in the year.

• Small caps (Russell 2000): generally lagged large caps and experienced deeper drawdowns relative to the S&P 500 during risk‑off periods.

Individual stock examples (reported moves are illustrative; verify exact percentages via MarketWatch/WSJ individual quote pages): some AI/data‑center beneficiaries saw large rallies after April as earnings beat expectations; conversely, companies with weaker guidance saw steep selloffs in volatile sessions.

Measures of the decline (methodology)

To answer "how much is the stock market down in 2025" this article uses these precise definitions:

• YTD % change = (Index Close on date X − Index Close on Dec. 31, 2024) / Index Close on Dec. 31, 2024 × 100.
• Peak‑to‑trough % decline = 100 × (High before decline − Low during decline) / High before decline.
• Single‑day % loss = 100 × (Previous Close − Intraday Close) / Previous Close for that trading day.

Primary data sources: MarketWatch index pages, WSJ market‑data pages, and archived CNBC / AP market summaries. Date cutoffs used in this article are explicitly noted when numbers are reported (e.g., "As of Dec. 22, 2025, the S&P 500 was +17% YTD").

Investor reaction and market structure responses

Investor behavior in 2025 reflected classic patterns for a shallow, event‑driven crash followed by a recovery:

• Retail flows: many retail investors reacted to the April volatility with higher inquiries and intermittent selling; but later in 2025 flows favored large‑cap, AI‑exposed names as earnings and narratives improved (CNBC and AP retail flow reporting, 2025).

• Institutional positioning: hedge funds and multi‑strategy managers used dip‑buying and volatility arbitrage during the post‑April rebound.

• Market structure: trading halts and collar mechanisms were used where individual stocks saw extreme moves; exchange halts for single names occurred per standard exchange rules (exchange notices reported via market data pages in April 2025). No broad‑based permanent market suspension occurred.

• Safe‑haven demand: Treasuries and gold saw intermittent inflows during acute risk episodes; later easing expectations shifted flows back into equities (WSJ and MarketWatch fixed‑income coverage, 2025).

Short‑term recovery and end‑of‑year position (late 2025)

By late December 2025 the question "how much is the stock market down in 2025" had a practical answer for many investors: although the April episode produced sharp intraday and peak‑to‑trough losses, the broad market ended comfortably positive YTD as of late December (reported Dec. 22–29, 2025). That recovery was fueled by earnings beats among large tech names, the resilience of cloud and AI revenue (e.g., reported AWS strength in Q3 2025), and three Fed rate cuts that improved liquidity and growth prospects.

As of Dec. 22, 2025 (reported by aggregated market coverage), index YTD performance: S&P 500 ≈ +17%, Nasdaq Composite ≈ +21%, Dow Jones Industrial Average ≈ +14%. These figures show the difference between a headline‑grabbing crash in April and a full‑year performance metric.

International contagion and comparative performance

• European and Asian markets experienced correlated volatility around the April event, but relative magnitudes differed based on local economic data and regional exposures. Some international indices finished 2025 modestly negative while others mirrored the U.S. recovery.

• Correlation: global market correlations rose during acute stress in April and declined as regional fundamentals diverged during the recovery months (WSJ global market coverage, 2025).

Economic and financial consequences

Macro and balance‑sheet consequences of 2025 market moves included:

• Household net worth: households with concentrated equity holdings experienced sizeable mark‑to‑market swings during the April drawdown; later recovery mitigated a portion of those losses.

• Pension and fund valuations: defined‑benefit plans and long‑horizon investors updated mark‑to‑market reporting during Q2 2025; asset allocation reviews increased in some institutions.

• Credit markets: while equities were volatile, systemic credit stress was limited; corporate credit spreads widened briefly in April then narrowed through the recovery (MarketWatch fixed‑income coverage, Apr.–Dec. 2025).

This section summarizes reported economic effects; readers should consult primary reporting for sector and balance‑sheet detail.

Analysis and expert commentary

Market strategists in late 2025 offered varied forward views. Some bullish strategists expected further gains into 2026 driven by AI, while cautionary analysts pointed to high valuations (e.g., elevated cyclically adjusted P/E ratios) and historical precedents where high valuations preceded larger corrections. A CNBC panel of strategists in Dec. 2025 reflected optimism for 2026, while valuation measures like the Shiller CAPE were at historically high levels as of Dec. 22, 2025 (source: market commentary Dec. 22–29, 2025).

This contrast explains why the question "how much is the stock market down in 2025" can produce different answers depending on whether one focuses on the April crash magnitude or end‑of‑year performance.

Data tables and charts (appendix)

Below are proposed figures to include in a technical appendix for verification. Data sources shown with suggested access dates.

• Table A: Index level time series for 2025 (S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow) — source: MarketWatch / WSJ historical data (accessed Dec. 29, 2025).
• Table B: Peak‑to‑trough declines per index during Apr. 2–4, 2025 window — source: MarketWatch intraday/historical quotes (Apr. 2025).
• Table C: Sector performance 2025 (YTD and during April episode) — source: MarketWatch sector ETFs and WSJ sector reports (2025).
• Chart D: VIX intraday spikes Apr. 2025 vs. 2020/2022 for context — source: CBOE / MarketWatch (Apr.–Dec. 2025).
• Table E: Day‑by‑day event table (date, index move, headline driver) — source: AP/CNBC daily market summaries (Apr.–Dec. 2025).

HTML example of a simple appendix table (data cells illustrative; populate with primary source values when publishing):

References and data sources

Key references used for figures and narrative (date of reporting/access included where applicable):

• Wikipedia, "2025 stock market crash" (summary of April 2025 event; accessed Dec. 2025).
• CNBC market coverage, multiple daily pieces and event summaries (April–Dec. 2025; sample cited pieces Apr. 2025, Dec. 29, 2025).
• MarketWatch index pages (S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, DJIA, Russell 2000) — historical daily values and intraday quotes (accessed Dec. 22–29, 2025).
• AP News, daily index summaries and coverage of market moves (April–Dec. 2025; e.g., Dec. 2, 2025 summary piece).
• Wall Street Journal market‑data pages and analysis pieces (accessed Dec. 2025).
• Company earnings and sector reporting (e.g., AWS / cloud revenue reports Q3 2025; news coverage cited Q3 2025).

When publishing exact percent figures in the quantitative sections above, consult the MarketWatch/WSJ index pages for the specific date and time of day to match the calculation method (closing vs. intraday low/high).

See also

• 2020 stock market crash
• Volatility (finance)
• List of stock market crashes
• Monetary policy in 2025

Practical next steps for readers

If you were searching "how much is the stock market down in 2025" to assess portfolio exposure, consider these neutral, informational steps:

• Verify index values and calculate YTD and peak‑to‑trough declines using MarketWatch or WSJ historical pages (date‑stamped figures ensure reproducibility).
• Review sector exposure in your holdings; tech and AI‑related allocations drove much of the 2025 volatility.
• Track real‑time crypto vs. equities flows if you have cross‑market exposure; for crypto traders, Bitget provides spot and derivatives market access and Bitget Wallet is available for custody of Web3 assets.

This article does not provide investment advice. Use primary data sources listed above to compute exact numeric outcomes for your chosen dates.

Final notes

To directly address the core query: "how much is the stock market down in 2025" — the concise answer depends on the metric. During the April 2025 episode, major indices suffered peak‑to‑trough drawdowns in the high single digits into the low double digits for certain timing conventions (Apr. 2–4, 2025; sources: MarketWatch, CNBC, AP). By late December 2025 the same major indices were, according to contemporaneous market reporting, positive YTD (S&P ≈ +17%, Nasdaq ≈ +21%, Dow ≈ +14% as of Dec. 22, 2025). For exact percent values on the dates you care about, consult the index historical pages cited above (MarketWatch, WSJ) and use the methodology described in the Measures of the decline section.

Explore Bitget for crypto market access and Bitget Wallet for Web3 custody if you follow cross‑asset flows. For precise historical index math, download official index time series from MarketWatch/WSJ and apply the peak‑to‑trough and YTD formulas shown in this article.

Thank you for reading. For deeper datasets or tailored index tables, export the daily close series from MarketWatch or WSJ and compute peak‑to‑trough declines for the exact timeframe you prefer.