A global stock market crash shook investors worldwide, beginning with sharp declines in US futures and rapidly spreading to Asia and Europe. The sharp fall followed warnings from market analyst Jim Cramer, who had cautioned about a Black Monday-style collapse.
On Sunday, the Dow Jones Futures dropped 3.5%, while the S&P Futures fell 4.2%. The future for the Nasdaq posted the biggest hit, losing 5.3%. This early slide set the stage for a deeper crisis when markets opened in Asia.
Japan＊s share market was among the worst hit on Monday. The Nikkei 225 index dropped nearly 9% shortly after opening, reaching 30,792.74 〞 a level last seen in October 2023. The Topix index also plunged 8% to 2,284.69. Trading in Japanese futures had to be paused earlier in the day after hitting circuit breakers. An index of Japanese banking stocks dropped as much as 17%.
Other Asian markets also fell steeply. China＊s CSI300 blue-chip index declined 4.5%, and Hong Kong＊s Hang Seng fell 8% in early trading, with giants like Alibaba and Tencent losing over 8% each. Singapore＊s stocks dropped more than 7%. Australia＊s S&P/ASX 200 fell 6.07%, while South Korea's Kospi index dipped 4.34% and its small-cap Kosdaq lost 3.48%.
As Europe opened its first week of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic panic in March 2020, the crash continued. The Euro Stoxx 50 index fell by 4.6%, and Germany＊s DAX futures dropped 5%. Indexes in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany also fell into correction territory. According to Bloomberg, banks took the biggest blow in Europe.
Social media reactions pointed fingers at political triggers. One user posted, ※Trump just posted this. Brace for one of the biggest stock market crashes in history, folks. America is in collapse.§?
Another demanded, ※#Impeach Trump NOW #stockmarketcrash.§
The sentiment wasn＊t limited to the US. A user joked grimly, ※2025: stock market crash, 2026: housing market crash, 2027: WW3.§?
Others pointed to global politics. One user remarked, ※Can you imagine the good laugh Vlad and his pals are having in Moscow: in 5 months, Trump has betrayed his main allies on Ukraine, and now he is creating a stock market crash plunging the capitalism in recession.§
Yet another tried to predict the road ahead, saying, ※Elon and Trump KNOWS raising tariffs will make countries BOW to USA. There＊s no way around it. Stock market crash is only the beginning. Recovery stock market will be in weeks.§
As markets bleed and fears rise, investors brace for more shocks ahead, with netizens warning this may just be the beginning of a deeper crisis.