December 9, 2008
Todays reaction to the substantial gains of the past two market days was sizeable. Price changes in both directions continue to be large relative to the past.
Consider the median daily percentage change in each of the three indices since November 3, and compare it to the median change for the same 26-day period between 2000 and 2007.
Median Daily Change November- December
2000-2007 2008
DJIA .067 -.076
NASDAQ .081 .186
S&P500 .056 -.206
It is considerably greater this year; indeed the S&P500s median daily percentage change this year is almost four times the size of the past eight years.
Even if the entire trading year, until today, is considered, the same conclusion applies for the DJIA and the S&P500. The year 2008s median is quite larger; except for the NASDAQ, however, which has a smaller median daily rate of change this year than in the previous eight.
DJIA -2.72 percent
NASDAQ -1.55 percent
S&P500 -2.31 percent