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Dow Jones in 1982

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 19.6% in 1982, from 875.00 at the end of 1981 to 1,046.54. Its highest close was 1,070.55 on Dec 27 — a record that stood until January 6, 1983, and its lowest 776.92 on Aug 12. The biggest one-day fall was −3.5% on Oct 25 and the biggest rise +4.9% on Aug 17. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 15.2%.

Change in 1982
+19.6%
875.00 → 1,046.54
High
1,070.55
Dec 27
Low
776.92
Aug 12
After inflation
+15.2%
US CPI
Up days
118 of 253
longest run 5 up, 8 down
Record highs
2
closing records

Dow Jones, daily closes 1982

Numbers mark the events below
8059241,043previous recordJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1Feb 22: Enters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 1,024.05 (April 27, 1981).2Apr 21: S&P 500 index futures begin trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.3Jul 5: Penn Square Bank in Oklahoma fails.4Aug 12: Dow bottoms at 776.92, the start of the 1980s bull market.5Aug 12: Bear market low: 776.92, 24.1% below the peak.6Aug 13: Mexico encounters serious problems servicing its foreign debt, marking the onset of the debt crisis.7Aug 17: A forecast by Salomon economist Henry Kaufman sparks a large rally in stocks and bonds.8Oct 20: Back above its pre-bear-market peak of 1,024.05 (April 27, 1981).9Oct 25: Biggest one-day fall of the year: −3.5%.10Nov 3: Dow Jones sets the first of 2 record closing highs this year, at 1,065.49. Back above its pre-bear-market peak of 1,051.70 (January 11, 1973).11Dec 27: Last record close of the year: 1,070.55.

Key Events in 1982

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

  1. 1
    Monday, February 22 From the data
    Enters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 1,024.05 (April 27, 1981).
  2. 2
    Wednesday, April 21
    S&P 500 index futures begin trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Source
    Dow Jones: +0.3% that day · −0.6% a month later
  3. 3
    Monday, July 5
    Penn Square Bank in Oklahoma fails. Source
    Dow Jones: +0.2% next trading day (Jul 6) · +2.4% a month later
  4. 4
    Thursday, August 12
    Dow bottoms at 776.92, the start of the 1980s bull market. Source
    Dow Jones: 0.0% that day · +16.7% a month later
  5. 5
    Thursday, August 12 From the data
    Bear market low: 776.92, 24.1% below the peak.
  6. 6
    Friday, August 13
    Mexico encounters serious problems servicing its foreign debt, marking the onset of the debt crisis. Source
    Dow Jones: +1.4% that day · +18.2% a month later
  7. 7
    Tuesday, August 17
    A forecast by Salomon economist Henry Kaufman sparks a large rally in stocks and bonds. Source
    Dow Jones: +4.9% that day · +17.4% a month later
  8. 8
    Wednesday, October 20 From the data
    Back above its pre-bear-market peak of 1,024.05 (April 27, 1981).
  9. 9
    Monday, October 25 From the data
    Biggest one-day fall of the year: −3.5%.
  10. 10
    Wednesday, November 3 From the data
    Dow Jones sets the first of 2 record closing highs this year, at 1,065.49. Back above its pre-bear-market peak of 1,051.70 (January 11, 1973).
  11. 11
    Monday, December 27 From the data
    Last record close of the year: 1,070.55.

Biggest days of 1982

Best daysWorst days
Aug 17+4.9%Oct 25−3.5%
Nov 3+4.2%Feb 1−2.2%
Oct 6+4.1%Nov 22−2.1%
Aug 20+3.7%Feb 8−2.1%
Nov 30+3.6%Jan 5−2.0%

Volatility: 18.6% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

MonthCloseChangeHighLow
Jan871.10−0.4%882.52838.95
Feb824.39−5.4%852.55811.26
Mar822.77−0.2%828.39795.47
Apr848.36+3.1%865.58833.24
May819.54−3.4%869.20819.54
Jun811.93−0.9%816.88788.62
Jul808.60−0.4%833.43796.99
Aug901.31+11.5%901.31776.92
Sep896.25−0.6%934.79895.05
Oct991.72+10.7%1,036.98903.61
Nov1,039.28+4.8%1,065.49990.99
Dec1,046.54+0.7%1,070.55990.25

Other Markets in 1982

Change over the calendar year.

MarketChangeYear-end
Dow Jones+19.6%1,046.54
S&P 500 in 1982+14.8%140.64
Nasdaq Composite in 1982+18.7%232.41
Gold in 1982+14.9%$456.90
Silver in 1982+33.3%$10.87
US 10-year Treasury yield in 1982−3.62 pp10.36%
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989

Dow Jones in 1982: FAQ

How much did the Dow Jones Industrial Average rise in 1982?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 19.6% in 1982, from 875.00 at the end of 1981 to 1,046.54. Its highest close was 1,070.55 on Dec 27 — a record that stood until January 6, 1983, and its lowest 776.92 on Aug 12. The biggest one-day fall was −3.5% on Oct 25 and the biggest rise +4.9% on Aug 17. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 15.2%.

What were the highest and lowest closes of the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1982?

Highest: 1,070.55 on December 27, 1982. Lowest: 776.92 on August 12, 1982. It closed higher on 118 of 253 trading days.

What happened to the Dow Jones Industrial Average on August 17, 1982?

A forecast by Salomon economist Henry Kaufman sparks a large rally in stocks and bonds. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.9% that day, and was +17.4% a month later.

Did the Dow Jones Industrial Average reach a record high in 1982?

Yes — 2 record closing highs, the last at 1,070.55 on December 27, 1982.

Data: Daily closes since 26 May 1896. Saturday sessions were held until 1952. The NYSE was closed from 31 Jul to 11 Dec 1914. 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.

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APA 7
Corgano. (2026, November 1). Dow Jones in 1982. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/dow-jones/1982
MLA 9
“Dow Jones in 1982.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/dow-jones/1982. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.
Chicago
Corgano. “Dow Jones in 1982.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed November 1, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/dow-jones/1982.
BibTeX
@misc{corgano2026dowjonesin1982, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Dow Jones in 1982}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/dow-jones/1982}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}
Link
Dow Jones in 1982 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/dow-jones/1982