25 Amazing Stock Market Facts You Didn't Know
- $36.6 trillion – the estimated size of the world stock market at the beginning of October 2008.
- 22.6% – the biggest fall of the Dow Jones in 1 day! (1987)
- 15.34% – the biggest gain of the Dow Jones in 1 day! (1933)
- 30% drop in the market – Would mean the NYSE would close trading there and then for the day.
- 80% – the amount of capitalisation represented by the FTSE 100 on the whole London Stock Exchange.
- 400-1 – The leverage given to you by some FOREX companies!
- $2000 – the initial deposit you must legally have in the US to open a margin account.
- £0 – the amount of tax you have to pay on a spread betting account in the UK as its classed as gambling.
- 86.3% – the amount of FOREX traders that trade the USD
- 500% – The amount the stock market grew between 1982 and 1993 in terms of capitalisation.
- 1602 – the year the first shares were issued on the Amsterdam stock exchange
- $11 million – the amount a company must have earned over the last 3 years to gain a listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange
- 83% – The percentage of wealth given away by famous investor Warren Buffet to the Bill % Melinda Gates charitable foundation
- $26 trillion – The current value of mutual funds
- 1790 – The date of the oldest stock exchange in the US opened (Philadelphia)
- 0.5% – The agreed worldwide interest rate drop in October 2008 to counteract the huge drops in shares.
- 24.39% – The amount lost on the Dow Jones index due the effects of World War I.
- £9,600 – The amount you can earn (UK) before paying capital gains tax of 18% on stocks, better than the £5,600 income tax allowance!
- 1984 – The year the FTSE 100 index was introduced with a staring value of 1000.00 (6950.60, the highest value reached to date, 1999)
- 1 – The position of Royal Dutch Shell as the most capitalised share in the UK (Oil company, 31 Dec 2007)
- 1993 – The year the first ETF was introduced tracking the S&P 500
- 89% – The amount wiped off stocks between 1929-1932, during the great depression.
- 2 – The position of the Tokyo stock exchange in terms of most capitalised stock exchanges.
- 2008 – The year oil reached $100 a barrel
- 14.68% – The drop in the Dow Jones in the first half of 2008.
