Brent Oil Price in 1987
The brent oil price fell 5.5% in 1987, from $18.63 at the end of 1986 to $17.60. Its highest close was $20.95 on Aug 3 — a record that stood until April 19, 1989, and its lowest $15.03 on Dec 17. The biggest one-day fall was −5.6% on Dec 17 and the biggest rise +8.4% on Dec 22.
Brent Oil Price, daily closes 1987
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1987
What happened, and how the Brent oil moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Monday, October 19Black Monday: Dow falls 508 points (22.6%), its largest one-day percentage drop. SourceBrent oil: +0.5% that day · −6.9% a month later
- 2
Tuesday, December 15 From the dataEnters a bear market: 20% below its peak of $20.95 (August 3, 1987).
- 3
Thursday, December 17 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −5.6%.
- 4
Tuesday, December 22 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +8.4%.
Biggest days of 1987
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 22 | +8.4% | Dec 17 | −5.6% |
| Aug 3 | +4.6% | Dec 14 | −5.2% |
| Dec 18 | +3.8% | Aug 5 | −4.1% |
| Dec 23 | +3.3% | Dec 15 | −3.6% |
| Aug 26 | +3.1% | Aug 24 | −3.4% |
Volatility: 24.8% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| May | $18.58 | −0.3% |
| Jun | $19.08 | +2.7% |
| Jul | $20.03 | +5.0% |
| Aug | $18.63 | −7.0% |
| Sep | $18.48 | −0.8% |
| Oct | $18.80 | +1.7% |
| Nov | $17.70 | −5.9% |
| Dec | $17.60 | −0.6% |
Other Markets in 1987
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Oil Price | −5.5% | $17.60 |
| 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% |
Brent Oil Price in 1987: FAQ
How much did the brent oil price fall in 1987?
The brent oil price fell 5.5% in 1987, from $18.63 at the end of 1986 to $17.60. Its highest close was $20.95 on Aug 3 — a record that stood until April 19, 1989, and its lowest $15.03 on Dec 17. The biggest one-day fall was −5.6% on Dec 17 and the biggest rise +8.4% on Dec 22.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the brent oil price in 1987?
Highest: $20.95 on August 3, 1987. Lowest: $15.03 on December 17, 1987. It closed higher on 75 of 160 trading days.
What happened to the brent oil price on October 19, 1987?
Black Monday: Dow falls 508 points (22.6%), its largest one-day percentage drop. The brent oil price rose 0.5% that day, and was −6.9% a month later.
Data: Europe Brent spot price (EIA) from 1987, ICE Brent futures closes after that. 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.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026brentoilpricein, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Brent Oil Price in 1987}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/oil-brent/1987}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}