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The Stock Market Crash of 2008

October 10, 2008 10:03 AM

Stark ABC News’ Betsy Stark reports: In 1987, it happened in a day. In 1929 it happened in two days. Now it has happened in seven days, but the result is same. The stock market has crashed.

The technical definition of a crash is a precipitous decline of 20 percent. That's how far the Dow Jones industrial average has plunged in the last seven trading days. Markets around the world have followed suit, guilty of the same over-leveraging and exposed to many of the same bad bets. This is what a global bear market feels like.

The professionals say the panic-selling and naked fear are signs that a bottom to this agony could be near. But no one knows for sure.

Ap_japan_081010_main Individuals and institutions are bailing out of stocks for the safety of savings and checking accounts, treasury bills and gold. The end of the ban on short-selling Thursday may be a factor at play, allowing big investors once again to bet against stocks going up. And hedge funds and mutual funds alike are being forced to sell their investments in good companies -- adding fuel to this global wildfire -- as margin calls multiply and growing numbers of customers seek redemptions in this meltdown.

Investors remain skeptical about the ability of the various bailout plans to work. AIG burned through $85 billion in two weeks. The Federal Reserve announced it was willing to lend directly to companies unable to get loans in the commercial paper market and the result so far is fewer loans at higher rates. The lack of trust among counterparties continues.

The weeks-long process -- now beginning -- of trying to find a fair price for the bad assets on bank balance sheets has kept banks on edge. Until they know how much they can sell those assets for, they won't know whether the sale of those assets will make them weaker or stronger. Ironically, the $700 billion TARP plan seems to be perpetuating the freeze in the credit markets rather than thawing it. That's one reason Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is now talking about doing what the British have done, which is make direct investments in big banks in return for equity stakes for the taxpayer.

But this is not just a market event. The impact on the "real economy" -- the one we live and work in -- will grow deeper the longer the crisis goes on. The Wall Street Journal estimates today that investors have lost $8.4 trillion in wealth in the past year. We are already seeing the consequences of that. As consumers hunker down, consumer companies will suffer. Look no further than General Motors.

This weekend finance ministers will meet in Washington to talk global strategy. With global markets crashing in lock-step, they will need to come up with some answers. But if they cannot or do not, will the bottom keep falling out from under? Judging from what happened in Asia overnight, what's happening now in Europe and the grim signs of another sell-off on Wall Street today, investors are not waiting to find out.

October 10, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (51)

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VOTE FOR REAL--YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT!!!

Posted by: ColoradoMomma | Oct 10, 2008 4:34:15 PM

ok

Posted by: Obama Wins | Oct 10, 2008 4:55:53 PM

ridiculous. real wealth is of the finite variety; what has been lost in the economy is speculated value. total money supply is a finite quantity at any given point. does the writer think that that they're aren't plenty of investors making a killing off of this precipitous decline in the markets? it's called being the winning counterparty in swap, being the highly leveraged short seller, etc. etc. no. money is just changing hands, speculated value is indeed going down, but you can be sure that those who are profiting off of this decline will reenter the markets once the momentum shifts in the opposite direction. period. how long that will be is the better question to be asked.

Posted by: ehhhhh | Oct 10, 2008 5:29:01 PM

What, you didn't see this coming last year? or the year before? People on unemployment getting loans for $300,000? Doesn't take much brains to figure that one out...

Posted by: M.S. | Oct 10, 2008 5:35:49 PM

greggo because Obama aready plans to increase the capital gains tax .His story about taxing the rich is just a story. I am middle class and I own stocks, at least I used to. Haven't checked today.

Posted by: conf1689 | Oct 10, 2008 5:37:57 PM

lay with dogs, wake up with fleas

Posted by: al | Oct 10, 2008 5:42:49 PM

Where did the $700 billion go? Where is the magic cure?

Paulson wrote himself and the Bush family some very large checks and will be buying all the gold left in Fort Knox.

STUPID SUCKERS EVERYWHERE !!!

Posted by: John Mason | Oct 10, 2008 6:03:26 PM

This is my take.....the panic buying and speculation is almost over.....things will improve.....little by little...as long as you hold on for the long haul.....you will be fine......this is a wake-up call......

Posted by: Leigh | Oct 10, 2008 6:34:56 PM

Obama Loves ACORNS !!!!

ACORN caught in VOTER FRAUD for OBAMA in over 11 STATES so far !!!!

OBAMA = No Real Experience + Failed Community Organizer + tied to CONVICTED Rezko + Reverend Wright (oh so Wrong) + Ayers + Fannie Mae + Voter Fraud + Illegal Campaign Funds + ACORN = BAD CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT !!!!!!!!

Posted by: jon | Oct 10, 2008 6:46:24 PM

Wow, it's amazing how no one takes any accountability for their actions. What about all the people who allowed themselves to take on liar loans knowing they couldn't make that mortgage payment or tapped out their homes to go on vacations and buy expensive cars? Everyone is in a panic so they all take their money out of everywhere and expect the economy to get better? Think about that!!!!

Posted by: People are corrupt | Oct 10, 2008 7:06:08 PM

AMERICA HAS TO IN MY OPINION RETRO
AND START MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS MADE
IN AMERICA
BECAUSE OF GREED WE SOLD OUT OUR COUNTRY
AND NOW HAVE TO START OVER.
IT CAN BE DONE
WE IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE TO START TO
LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS.
IF WE THINK THINGS ARE BAD NOW WAIT TO
SEE THE CRIME RATE IN THE COMING MONTHS

Posted by: Myr Sylivia Nielsen | Oct 10, 2008 7:56:35 PM

The idiots in D.C., the dip-dunks (excuse me) fat-cat dip-dunks on Wall Street, and these greedy pork-belly banking CEOs should have held out from making this mess for say at least another 20 years. That way we could celebrate this fiasco with a 100 year anniversary of the last depressing period in time. Maybe we hard working, back breaking, spam eating taxpayers could have celebrated the anniversary with a nice glass of $7.00 table wine or something. Don't worry if you're out of work, I'd spot you a buck or two for a glass so you could join the rest of us. Who knows, I might need an apple off of your tree for dinner one night. Buy as many hot dogs and rameon noodles as you can now, we might be in this mud hole for awhile. Those caviar eating, $1000-a-glass wine drinking swines that put us in this hole are still digging...who knows when they'll figure out what they're doing and finally stop.

Posted by: maddcharger | Oct 10, 2008 11:18:01 PM

The idiots in D.C., the dip-dunks (excuse me) fat-cat dip-dunks on Wall Street, and these greedy pork-belly banking CEOs should have held out from making this mess for say at least another 20 years. That way we could celebrate this fiasco with a 100 year anniversary of the last depressing period in time. Maybe we hard working, back breaking, spam eating taxpayers could have celebrated the anniversary with a nice glass of $7.00 table wine or something. Don't worry if you're out of work, I'd spot you a buck or two for a glass so you could join the rest of us. Who knows, I might need an apple off of your tree for dinner one night. Buy as many hot dogs and rameon noodles as you can now, we might be in this mud hole for awhile. Those caviar eating, $1000-a-glass wine drinking swines that put us in this hole are still digging...who knows when they'll figure out what they're doing and finally stop.

Posted by: maddcharger | Oct 10, 2008 11:18:03 PM

Friday, October 10, 2008--10:14 pm

Hiddy,

The Stock Market is really dropping very quickly. I'm afraid that we're gonna have another Great Depression. Unemployment is very high. It's hard to fine jobs.
I hope the next President (whoever wins the Election)can fix the Economy. It's really awful.

Sincerely,

Terry

Posted by: Terry Marvin | Oct 10, 2008 11:20:10 PM

Thanks to all for the interesting comments. Why are we not demanding accountability? And how can we resume any trust in a system that dismisses those responsible? Some of us are angry, others fearful. Most with sincere concern of where the bottom of the market will land and how long will it take to see a reasonable return for investment. But the greatest truth in all this is in the past many "thought" there was corruption in our officials but now we "know". We know because we are being handed the results, be it taxation, inflation, or a greater depression, from the manipulating powers that created this house of cards and still no accountability. De-regulation gave the fox(s) the keys to the hen house with credit card interest for legal loan sharking. Whether you just charged it yesterday or 3 years back, immediately there should be a federally mandated cap on that! 25-30% is ridiculous. And the bait and switch of variable interest loans. It was a honey pot for the greedy. When Warren Buffet can stand before his peers and warn them of the disproportionate taxation and distribution of wealth in our county (and why he will vote for the next Democratic President) it's time for a change. It appears the rich getting richer has come home to roost; but at what cost to our country. Since we or our children will never forget these times, one good thing has come of this. That is when the subject of Social Security being "invested" comes up again, and it will, hopefully we will have recovered enough be able to laugh at the suggestion.

Posted by: Thomas | Oct 11, 2008 4:28:57 AM

pay attention '' just under 1000 heads must come off...starting from the top..............think about it.?????

Posted by: colonel klink | Oct 11, 2008 10:29:12 AM

thess smart people have bought low and sold to the American people at ridiculous prices. They have loaned Americans loans at the highest interest rates known. where was regulations mr. government? Now Americans have exhausted their resources and can't make it. These companies who hijacked the American people should be sought after more than looking for Bin Laden. They are the culprits who have destroyed the America we know of. what to do about this? The government should start giving loans to the American people and take over the credit bureaus. You can't set up leagal loan sharks to put the American people in debt they can't get out of. Those who have donne this should suffer and go to jail. If the government loan the American people some money like they grant student loans to not be able to file bankruptcy against will help Americans live a more productive life and be able to stomach some of the atrosities being handed to them.

Posted by: robert | Oct 11, 2008 12:38:39 PM

The October 10 broadcast of 20/20 contained a short interview of an economist who had authored a book on the Great Depression of 1927. The title was shown so briefly that I could not get write it down. Does anyone recall the title?

Posted by: Lyndel | Oct 11, 2008 2:21:00 PM

Invesors' Real Fear: A Socialist Tsunami
The Crash:Why has the market droped so much? everyone asks. What is it about the spector of our first socialist president and the end of capitalism as we know it that they don't understand?The businesses tha create jobs and generate wealth are already discounting the future based on what they know about Obama's plans to raise income,capital gains,dividend and payroll taxes and his various other economy-crippling policies.

Posted by: dwduck61 | Oct 11, 2008 8:17:02 PM

Number one the stock market has not fallen 20% as of yet so this article (like most ABC articles) is pure sensationalism. Its so typical with the news. Yes we are experiencing some financial issues, however its no where near a complete crash.

What most folks have failed to understand is that we were way overinflated in the market from the housing boom. Most of that market drive will dry up along with day trading and other short term scam activities, and it will leave us with the solid stocks.
Sure we will all lose money and those that were over extended anyway will loose all they had. However we are no where near finished and the spewing news media needs to reign in there negative, judgmental comments.

Why has the market dropped so much? You are witnessing the effects of Marxism on a capitalist economy. Entitlement programs like the ones nurtured by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) are what caused the market to climb to the heights it did as fast as it did.
We all knew 14000 was to high, about double what the market should actually be.

Its when congress makes laws like the CRA 1977 and with all the warning the business sector can muster against it, congress uses its leverage in the waning hours to shove this CRA requirement into section Vi of the 1999 deregulation act.

This is what was warned against by the business sector, this very failure was warned to the congress loud and clear. And now as its actually unfolding everyone wants to spend time either blaming or shouting like chicken little (ABC).

Lets get a hold on our selves. Those fake loans that were made as regulatory requirement by the CRA are ALL going to fail. Further the US automakers who refuse to wake up to the fact that fuel is greater than $3 per gallon, they will have a rough time ahead.
But we will make it through this very difficult adjustment and we will go on and rebuild our markets once again. As long as we keep our heads cool and don't react we will sort out this issue and move foreword.

I would suggest that the market be forced into closure for the next 7 days (to give things some time to cool down), after that the markets should be opened on a temporary basis only, during the next 30 days, (in 2 4 and 6 hour increments). Finally the markets should open on their normal schedule in December. This would slow down the losses due to reactionary trading and would not allow the day traders to take advantage of the "bail out" initiatives.

Remember the government does not run the stock market, its a free economy run by individuals. So its going to take all of us having a cool head to get through the storm. But weather it we shall

Posted by: Bobby Hawk | Oct 12, 2008 6:50:32 PM

wow our money problem is out of control. when the election is over hopefully obama or mccain, which ever one wins will try and sucessed in to lower or demolish the debt we are in.

Posted by: kaycie | Oct 13, 2008 12:16:05 PM

John Stossel, god bless his commercial heart. He thinks what just happened and was primed to happen a long time ago must be a fluke. Government should never interfere in business. Entrepreneurship is the backbone of this nation. Right? Wrong! Those days were over years ago when Tuckers designs were stolen. They disappeared when GE bought out the patent that would create a light bulb that never burned out and a host of other examples of large companies controlling things. Where has John been. Is he too young to remember Franklin D. Roosevelt and his rescue of an entire nation Hoover had destroyed. Government regulations on behalf of the people is a very good thing. Perhaps John hasn't looked at all those Socialist countries in Europe and Asia that are or were doing quite well until our interconnected economies sent them into a tail spin. No regulations, John? What planet are you planning on living on? Surely not earth/.

Posted by: Charlie | Oct 17, 2008 1:43:49 PM

Lets see stck market has not fallen 20% hmmmmm if we were @ 14000 and we are now @ 8500 unless we have new math now I believe the market fell about 40% in a year. What do I know I'm just a commoner I do not know new math all I know is this where can I get a job that rewards me for screwing up in the tune of millions hell it is right now just hard to keep a job when you are doing the right thing.

Posted by: jim mcatee | Oct 24, 2008 12:15:34 AM

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Posted by: buy | Nov 6, 2008 2:46:31 PM

Let's see - I think Bill Clinton signed "NAFTA" and deregulated banking. He sent our labor to Asia and South America. That was the beginnning of the end, just as Bush took office. Thanks Bill! Sure glad your wife isn't the new President.

Posted by: jhard | Nov 12, 2008 2:48:32 PM

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