What is a Market Swoon?
A market swoon is an abrupt fall in the value of a market index.
How Does a Market Swoon Work?
Derived from a term meaning 'to faint' or 'pass out,' market swoon is a vernacular expression that describes a sudden and widespread loss in the value of stocks across an entire market.
A market swoon is generally characterized by a substantial interruption in trading combined with a high trading volume. An example of a market swoon would be a steep decline in the value of the S&P 500 Index.
Why Does a Market Swoon Matter?
Market swoons frequently occur in response to economic or political shocks (for example, interest rate increases and international conflicts). The market often recovers from a market swoon in a relatively short span of time.