10 Black Swan Events that Shook the markets

by admin | Jul 7, 2023

Black Swans are highly unpredictable events that go beyond what is usually expected of a situation.

One definition I like is this.

A Black Swan is where an event can cause the market to move 10 standard deviations away from the norm.

When this happens they could potentially have severe and wide-reaching consequences.
You’ll see the market will jump erratically and even cause a halt in trading activity completely.

So when you spot a Black Swan. Just take it easy from trading the markets that can be affected.

Here are 10 Black Swan Events that I can think of that had an impact on the markets.

2008 Global Financial Crisis
Triggered by the collapse of the US housing market, it led to a worldwide banking crisis and severe global economic downturn.

COVID-19 Pandemic
An unprecedented global health crisis that had significant repercussions on global economies and markets in 2020.

Dotcom Bubble Burst (2000)
The dramatic rise (due to greed and optimism) and fall (due to fear and panic) of internet companies in the late 1990s led to a severe market correction.

Brexit (2016)
Britain’s unexpected decision to leave the EU had immediate impacts on global markets.

Japanese Asset Price Bubble Burst (1992)
This led to a lost decade of economic stagnation in Japan.
(Have you seen the Nikkei! And can you imagine holding stocks from 1992?)

Swiss Franc Unpegging (2015)
The Swiss National Bank’s sudden decision to remove the cap on the Franc’s value against the Euro led to extreme currency volatility.
(Forex trading was a nightmare seeing some prices drop hundreds of pips).

September 11 Attacks (2001)
The terrorist attacks had immediate and long-term effects on global economies and markets.
(I was too young to worry so I missed this one.)

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster (2011)
Triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, it had significant impacts on global energy markets.
(I remember holding oil stocks while driving. And I came home to R120,000 loss).

Flash Crash (2010)
The US stock market crash, triggered by a high-frequency trading algorithm, sent a financial shockwave around the world.
(Fat fingers caused by unknown factors).

Oil Price Negative (2020)
For the first time in history, the price of US oil turned negative due to low demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Which Black Swan event affected you the most?

Let me know in the comments?