We are marking MarketWatch’s 25th anniversary by looking at the 25 biggest financial market events and developments we have covered.
But MarketWatch is turning 25 years old, not 20, and the events of the last five years have kept our newsroom exceptionally busy. Let’s look at the five most recent big developments — events 21 to 25 — that the MarketWatch newsroom has had to grapple with in these latest wild years in the market. Nevertheless, the broad Standard & Poor’s 500 index climbed from 676 in March 2009 to 3,386 in February 2020. It took a pandemic to stop the bull run. As stocks dropped in early March 2020, MarketWatch wondered if the bull market would turn 11 before the developing coronavirus selloff. It did not.
MarketWatch’s coverage featured one staffer in London pulling an all-nighter to cover the market mayhem, as well as Facebook Live broadcasts that broke down what had just happened. We also reported on Brexit’s costly impact on London’s big banks, its fintech scene and the EU millennials working in the U.K., along with how it befuddled bookies and ended up delivering a currency-related boost to the FTSE 100.
Congress and the White House followed up with increased benefits and other stimulus for households and companies to keep the economy afloat. Keith Gill became the face of the revolution. The office worker made tens of millions and created a cult following through his “Roaring Kitty” and “DeepF***ingValue” personas on YouTube and Reddit’s WallStreetBest forum. The Reddit traders used no-cost trading platforms, like Robinhood Markets, and the activity took a toll on some Wall Street heavyweights, with Gabe Plotkin’s Melvin Capital eventually winding down.