Nasdaq in 1971

The Nasdaq Composite rose 14.1% in 1971, from 100.00 at the end of 1970 to 114.12. Its highest close was 114.12 on Dec 31 — a record that stood until January 5, 1972, and its lowest 99.68 on Feb 22. The biggest one-day fall was −1.5% on Jun 21 and the biggest rise +2.3% on Aug 16.

Change in 1971

+14.1%

100.00 → 114.12

High

114.12

Dec 31

Low

99.68

Feb 22

Up days

134 of 229

longest run 11 up, 6 down

Below record

0.0%

at the end of 1971

Nasdaq, daily closes 1971

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1971

What happened, and how the Nasdaq moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.

1
Monday, February 8

Nasdaq begins operations as the first electronic stock market. Source

Nasdaq: +0.8% that day · +4.4% a month later
2
Monday, June 21 From the data

Biggest one-day fall of the year: −1.5%.
3
Sunday, August 15

Nixon closes the gold window, ending dollar convertibility to gold, and announces wage and price controls. Source

Nasdaq: +2.3% next trading day (Aug 16) · +4.1% a month later

Biggest days of 1971

Best days		Worst days
Aug 16	+2.3%	Jun 21	−1.5%
Nov 3	+1.4%	Jul 29	−1.5%
Nov 29	+1.4%	Nov 23	−1.5%
Nov 26	+1.2%	May 17	−1.4%
Mar 8	+1.2%	Nov 1	−1.3%

Volatility: 9.2% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Feb	101.34	+1.3%	102.19	99.68
Mar	105.97	+4.6%	105.97	101.78
Apr	112.30	+6.0%	112.46	106.34
May	108.25	−3.6%	111.77	107.50
Jun	107.80	−0.4%	110.76	105.49
Jul	105.27	−2.3%	111.24	105.27
Aug	108.42	+3.0%	109.30	103.04
Sep	109.03	+0.6%	110.58	108.18
Oct	105.10	−3.6%	110.98	104.28
Nov	103.97	−1.1%	105.72	100.31
Dec	114.12	+9.8%	114.12	105.00

Other Markets in 1971

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
Nasdaq	+14.1%	114.12
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1971	+6.1%	890.20
S&P 500 in 1971	+10.8%	102.09
Gold in 1971	+16.7%	$43.62
Silver in 1971	−16.0%	$1.37
US 10-year Treasury yield in 1971	−0.61 pp	5.89%

1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

Nasdaq in 1971: FAQ

How much did the Nasdaq Composite rise in 1971?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the Nasdaq Composite in 1971?

Highest: 114.12 on December 31, 1971. Lowest: 99.68 on February 22, 1971. It closed higher on 134 of 229 trading days.

What happened to the Nasdaq Composite on August 15, 1971?

Nixon closes the gold window, ending dollar convertibility to gold, and announces wage and price controls. The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.3% on the next trading day (August 16, 1971), and was +4.1% a month later.

Data: Daily closes since the index began at 100 on 5 Feb 1971. Price index: dividends are not included. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.