Russell 2000 in 1987

The Russell 2000 fell 28.7% in 1987, from 168.97 at the end of 1986 to 120.42. Its highest close was 172.54 on Oct 5 — a record that stood until June 2, 1989, and its lowest 106.08 on Oct 28. The biggest one-day fall was −12.5% on Oct 19 and the biggest rise +7.6% on Oct 21.

Change in 1987

−28.7%

168.97 → 120.42

High

172.54

Oct 5

Low

106.08

Oct 28

Up days

36 of 79

longest run 7 up, 7 down

Below record

-30.2%

at the end of 1987

Russell 2000, daily closes 1987

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1987

What happened, and how the Russell 2000 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.

1
Tuesday, August 25

Dow reaches its pre-crash all-time high of about 2,722. Source
2
Monday, October 19

Black Monday: Dow falls 508 points (22.6%), its largest one-day percentage drop. Source

Russell 2000: −12.5% that day · −22.6% a month later
3
Monday, October 19 From the data

Enters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 172.54 (October 5, 1987).
4
Tuesday, October 20

Fed affirms its readiness to serve as a source of liquidity to the financial system. Source

Russell 2000: −9.1% that day · −12.9% a month later
5
Wednesday, October 21 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +7.6%.
6
Wednesday, October 28 From the data

Bear market low: 106.08, 38.5% below the peak.

Biggest days of 1987

Best days		Worst days
Oct 21	+7.6%	Oct 19	−12.5%
Oct 30	+6.7%	Oct 26	−9.3%
Oct 29	+4.4%	Oct 20	−9.1%
Dec 14	+2.5%	Oct 22	−4.7%
Dec 18	+2.2%	Oct 16	−4.3%

Volatility: 43.4% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Sep	170.81	+1.1%	170.81	167.40
Oct	118.26	−30.8%	172.54	106.08
Nov	111.70	−5.5%	120.21	111.70
Dec	120.42	+7.8%	121.59	106.43

Other Markets in 1987

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
Russell 2000	−28.7%	120.42
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1987	+2.3%	1,938.83
S&P 500 in 1987	+2.0%	247.08
Nasdaq Composite in 1987	−5.2%	330.50
Nikkei 225 in 1987	+14.6%	21,564.00
Gold in 1987	+24.5%	$484.10
Silver in 1987	+26.9%	$6.70
WTI crude oil in 1987	−6.6%	$16.74
US 10-year Treasury yield in 1987	+1.60 pp	8.83%

1987 1988 1989

Russell 2000 in 1987: FAQ

How much did the Russell 2000 fall in 1987?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the Russell 2000 in 1987?

Highest: 172.54 on October 5, 1987. Lowest: 106.08 on October 28, 1987. It closed higher on 36 of 79 trading days.

What happened to the Russell 2000 on October 19, 1987?

Black Monday: Dow falls 508 points (22.6%), its largest one-day percentage drop. The Russell 2000 fell 12.5% that day, and was −22.6% a month later.

Data: Daily closes since Sep 1987. 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.