
North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, launching the Korean War. The conflict came as something of a shock to US investors, as the move was wholly unexpected. On the first trading day after North Korea’s attack, the Dow dropped by 4.7 percent.
Full Answer
Is North Korea a risk to the global stock market?
"The intensification of the risks around North Korea comes at a time when there is already a risk of a global share market correction," Oliver said.
Did market volatility bottom out before the end of war?
In both cases, market volatility bottomed out well before the end of the conflict. Oliver adopted a time frame of August 1990 -- January 1991 for Iraq War I, and March -- May 2003 for Iraq War II.
What event has had the worst effect on the stock market?
The event that had the worst effect on the stock market by both of the above measures is the attack on Pearl Harbor in the early 1940s. The reaction and recovery numbers for the Pearl Harbor attack are far more severe than the numbers for most of the other events, making it a possible outlier that’s making the data seem worse than it is.
Is the stock market recovering from the great financial crisis?
Today’s investors have seen the stock market recover from both 9/11 and the Great Financial Crisis, arguably the greatest geopolitical and economic shocks of our time. This makes it easier for investors to shrug off other events."

What happened to the stock market during the Korean war?
On the first trading day after North Korea's attack, the Dow dropped by 4.7 percent. Nonetheless, the market recovered within a few months. By the time the war ended in 1953, the Dow was up nearly 60 percent – an annualized growth rate of 16 percent.
Does the stock market do well during war?
Though war and defense spending can amount to a sizable portion of the U.S. GDP, wars often have little sustained impact on stock markets or economic growth at home. Markets largely have ignored recent conflicts related to the Middle East and Iran.
What happens to the stock market when war is declared?
Evidence on the long-run effects is fragile, and while prices are probably expected to fall a little as a result of war, any “ oil dividend” will be minimal. We find large effects in equity markets: and war lowers the value of U.S. equities by around 15 percent.
How do stocks do during war?
Over the last 100+ years we have seen the stock market rise sharply following a prolonged war. Most recently, the war in Afghanistan (2002-2021) saw huge stock market swings but if you strapped in and stayed for the duration your accounts were sharply higher.
Should I pull my money out of the stock market?
The answer is simpler than you might think: do nothing. While it may sound counterintuitive, simply holding your investments and waiting it out is often the best way to survive periods of volatility without losing money. During market downturns, your portfolio could lose value in the short term.
What should I invest in before war?
War Stocks to Buy Now According to Hedge FundsIntrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE:IPI) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 8. ... Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE:LAC) ... Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33. ... Nutrien Ltd. (NYSE:NTR) ... Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42.
How can you protect money during war?
2:1612:22Protect Your Investments During War (You Need To Do This) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you want to put it in something that's impervious to the sun. Right and that means you're goingMoreSo you want to put it in something that's impervious to the sun. Right and that means you're going to have to look at things that don't get impacted. By high inflation.
What does war mean for stocks?
War in Ukraine Means Fresh Volatility for the Stock Market. That Shouldn't Change Your Investing Strategy | NextAdvisor with TIME. Mortgages.
What Factors Affect How Stocks Are Affected By War?
Civil wars and internal conflicts such as those that occurred in Sierra Leone (1991-2002) and the Central African Republic in 2013 caused severe disruption in those countries’ economies. However, there was little or no impact on first-world nations like the United States.
World War I Stock Market Performance
Leading up to World War I, the global economy looked nothing like it does today. Each nation operated independently, and most who participated in global trade were on the gold standard.
World War II Stock Market Performance
When World War II started in 1939, the United States was just beginning to emerge from the Great Depression.
Vietnam War Stock Market Performance
The Vietnam War might have been one of the most unpopular in United States history, but the stock market grew anyway.
Gulf War Stock Market Performance
The Gulf War lasted just seven months, from August 2, 1990, through February 28, 1991. Its brevity makes it difficult to separate market changes caused by the conflict from those related to other world events. For example, oil prices spiked during this period, which caused a brief recession – an unusual economic state during war time.
Afghanistan War Stock Market Performance
It’s not entirely possible to measure the impact of the Afghanistan War on the stock market performance due to the sheer length of the conflict.
What Patterns Emerge from Historical Stock Market Performance During War Times?
Geopolitical conflict tends to cause market volatility, at least in the early days. Logically, investors might assume that the volatility continues throughout war times, but history shows that this isn’t the case.
A look at investor attitudes to war and uncertainty in the modern era
Deborah D'Souza is the former news editor at Investopedia. She also writes articles that bring together information from across different financial fields.
Markets Often Shrug it Off
LPL Financial research notes that stocks have largely shrugged off past geopolitical conflicts. "As serious as this escalation is, previous experiences have indicated it may be unlikely to have a material impact on U.S. economic fundamentals or corporate profits," said LPL Financial Chief Investment Strategist John Lynch.
When Markets Can Suffer
History tells us periods of uncertainty like we're seeing now are usually when stocks suffer the most. In 2015, researchers at the Swiss Finance Institute looked at U.S.
The Bottom Line
"Over the last few years, markets have been conditioned not to overreact to political and geopolitical shocks for two reasons: first, the belief that there would be no significant subsequent intensification of the initial shock; and second, that central banks stood ready and able to repress financial volatility," said Mohamed Aly El-Erian, the chief economic adviser at Allianz, in a Bloomberg column.
When did the Korean War start?
The Korean War began in the summer of 1950 when North Korea invaded the South. That conflict ended in the summer of 1953. In that time, the Dow was up an annualized 16%, or almost 60% in total. U.S. troops were sent to Vietnam in March of 1965. The Dow would finish the remainder of that year up almost 10%.
How much did the Dow rise during WWII?
The Dow rose more than 5% over the ensuing month. From the start of WWII in 1939 until it ended in late 1945, the Dow was up a total of 50%, more than 7% per year. So, during two of the worst wars in modern history, the U.S. stock market was up a combined 115%. The Korean War began in the summer of 1950 when North Korea invaded the South.
How much did the Dow go up in 1973?
The Dow would finish the remainder of that year up almost 10%. By the time the last of the U.S. troops were pulled out of Vietnam in 1973, the stock market was up a total of almost 43% in that time, or just under 5% per year.
How long did the Dow fall in 1914?
In the six months following the onset of World War I in 1914, the Dow fell more than 30%. Because the war basically ground the business world to a halt and market liquidity all but dried up, the decision was made to close the stock market that year. This lasted for six months , the longest such period on record.
Why is it so difficult to know how investors will react to certain events?
It’s always difficult to know how investors will react to certain events because so much of the market’s reaction to these events is context-dependent.
How long did the Cuban missile crisis last?
The Cuban Missile Crisis had the world on the brink of nuclear war in October of 1962 when the U.S. faced a standoff against Russia. The confrontation lasted 13 days. In that two-week period, the Dow remained surprisingly calm, losing just 1.2%. For the remainder of that year, the Dow would gain more than 10%.
