Nikkei 225 in 1990

The Nikkei 225 fell 38.7% in 1990, from 38,916 at the end of 1989 to 23,849. Its highest close was 38,713 on Jan 4, and its lowest 20,222 on Oct 1. The biggest one-day fall was −6.6% on Apr 2 and the biggest rise +13.2% on Oct 2.

Change in 1990

−38.7%

38,916 → 23,849

High

38,713

Jan 4

Low

20,222

Oct 1

Up days

107 of 246

longest run 7 up, 7 down

Below record

-38.7%

at the end of 1990

Nikkei 225, daily closes 1990

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1990

What happened, and how the Nikkei 225 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.

1
Tuesday, March 20 From the data

Enters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 38,916 (December 29, 1989).
2
Monday, April 2 From the data

Biggest one-day fall of the year: −6.6%.
3
Thursday, August 2

Iraq invades Kuwait, beginning the Gulf crisis. Source

Nikkei 225: −1.9% that day · −16.8% a month later
4
Thursday, August 30

Bank of Japan raises the official discount rate to 6.00%. Source

Nikkei 225: +3.1% that day · −15.7% a month later
5
Monday, October 1 From the data

Bear market low: 20,222, 48.0% below the peak.
6
Tuesday, October 2 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +13.2%.
7
Thursday, November 29

UN Security Council Resolution 678 sets a 15 January 1991 deadline for Iraq to leave Kuwait. Source

Nikkei 225: −1.5% that day · +3.4% a month later

Biggest days of 1990

Best days		Worst days
Oct 2	+13.2%	Apr 2	−6.6%
Aug 15	+5.4%	Aug 23	−5.8%
Mar 26	+4.8%	Sep 26	−4.7%
Sep 10	+4.7%	Feb 26	−4.5%
Nov 13	+4.5%	Aug 13	−4.2%

Volatility: 32.8% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	37,189	−4.4%	38,713	36,729
Feb	34,592	−7.0%	37,667	33,322
Mar	29,980	−13.3%	34,058	29,843
Apr	29,585	−1.3%	30,398	28,002
May	33,131	+12.0%	33,192	29,690
Jun	31,940	−3.6%	33,193	31,124
Jul	31,036	−2.8%	33,172	30,443
Aug	25,978	−16.3%	30,838	23,738
Sep	20,984	−19.2%	25,420	20,984
Oct	25,194	+20.1%	25,353	20,222
Nov	22,455	−10.9%	24,385	22,455
Dec	23,849	+6.2%	24,877	21,863

Other Markets in 1990

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
Nikkei 225	−38.7%	23,849
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1990	−4.3%	2,633.66
S&P 500 in 1990	−6.6%	330.22
Nasdaq Composite in 1990	−17.8%	373.80
Russell 2000 in 1990	−21.5%	132.20
Gold in 1990	−3.1%	$386.20
Silver in 1990	−19.6%	$4.19
WTI crude oil in 1990	+30.4%	$28.48
Brent crude oil in 1990	+34.7%	$28.35
US 10-year Treasury yield in 1990	+0.15 pp	8.08%

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Nikkei 225 in 1990: FAQ

How much did the Nikkei 225 fall in 1990?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the Nikkei 225 in 1990?

Highest: 38,713 on January 4, 1990. Lowest: 20,222 on October 1, 1990. It closed higher on 107 of 246 trading days.

What happened to the Nikkei 225 on August 30, 1990?

Bank of Japan raises the official discount rate to 6.00%. The Nikkei 225 rose 3.1% that day, and was −15.7% a month later.

Data: Daily closes since Jan 1984 (Tokyo). 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.