Investing.com –The Dow Industrial's recent selloffs were not only a shock to investors swept up in the uninterrupted rally of the past 18 months, they were also a reminder of just how little volatility there's been in the nine-year bull market.
Big one-day market moves haven't been as large or as common as some periods in the past.
Not one day's price change comes close to ranking among the top 20 gains or declines over the past 125 years.
What's more, the Dow's 4.6% decline was the first move of that size during a trading day since August 2015. The last time before that was March 2010.
Investors with an appreciation for volatility need only remember 2008, at the start of the financial crisis. Four the biggest one-day declines -- all of them 7% or more -- came in a span of three months. Fortunately, two of the biggest gains -- both more than 10% -- happened during the same period.
Of course, nothing compares to the gut-wrenching days of the Depression. Eight of the 20 worst days and 15 of the 20 best days occurred between 1929 and 1933.