This Day In Market History: Fewer Than 1 Million Shares Trade On The NYSE

Each day, Benzinga takes a look back at a notable market-related moment that occurred on this date.

What Happened

On this day in 1953, the New York Stock Exchange recorded less than 1 million shares in total daily trading volume for the last time.

Where Was The Market

The S&P 500 traded around 24.83, and the Dow traded around 2,575.79.

What Else Was Going On In The World

The U.S. inflation rate steadied at 0.75. Americans spent their $4,000 in average annual wages on $7,300 houses, $3.41 doctor visits and 73-cent movies.

The NYSE Sees Its Most Sluggish Day In Decades

The session saw the exchange of just 900,000 shares. Nearly 30 years later, in 1982, share volume peaked at 100 million for the first time — and actually exceeded the milestone by another 32 million. The exchange struck 500 million by 1987.

Today, single stocks break 1 million easily and occasionally crack the 100-million mark.

The average daily trading volume on the NYSE generally spans between 2 billion and 6 billion shares.

The first time the NYSE, as a whole, traded above 1 million was back in 1886.

Related Links:

On This Day In Market History: The End Of The Longest Bull Market Ever

This Day In Market History: NYSE Volume Hits 20th Century Low