What Would Happen If The Stock Market Went To 0? (2024)

Every publicly-listed business is now trading for zero dollars, and any residual value a company possessed has vanished into thin air.

Although the likelihood of this may appear improbable, it’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Various circ*mstances could bring about this apocalyptic plot turn – and some are currently more plausible than at any time in the recent past.

In fact, such outcomes have already happened on a few separate occasions in the last century.

For example, the Shanghai Stock Exchange was established in China in 1866, and, despite a vicious civil conflict and Japanese occupation in the 1930s, it remained open until December 1941.

However, after World War II, internal hostilities resumed, and the exchange ceased trading once the Chinese Communist Party had taken control of mainland China. All existing assets were seized by the new government, leaving pre-revolution investments worthless.

And it’s not just a collapse of the financial system that you need to worry about. Individual companies routinely lose all their value, whether through bankruptcy, scandal, or plain bad management.

But how concerned should you really be about this admittedly worst-case scenario?

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What Could Cause The Stock Market To Tank?

It would require a catastrophic and pervasive incident to cause every company on the stock market to fall to zero, rendering all businesses worthless and radically destabilizing the economy.

However, this might occur through various means, including a global economic meltdown, a widespread natural calamity, or a large-scale technological disruption that makes all current businesses obsolete.

Another credible alternative would be if there was a total breakdown in law and order, adversely influencing the equity markets and sending shock waves throughout Wall Street.

Indeed, one possible outcome would be a reduction in investor faith, as trust and stability are fundamental to the market. If extensive civil turmoil were to emerge, investors might feel unsure about the security of their investments, resulting in a sell-off of stocks and a slump in the market.

Furthermore, when the norms of civil society are compromised in such a way, it may lead to disturbances in the logistics network too.

For instance, the supply chain comprises a web of corporations, groups, and persons who produce and distribute goods or services, from raw materials to final products. Impediments at any juncture of this chain can create substantial setbacks and complications for companies, with subsequent consequences on the stock market itself.

In an unstable environment where law and order have collapsed, companies may encounter issues transporting merchandise or acquiring crucial resources. Uprisings and general unrest might thwart transportation hubs, making it hard to transfer goods from one place to another. This can trigger substantial production delays, hindering a company’s capacity to fulfill its responsibilities and generate earnings. Besides, distributors might also be unable to provide the components and constituents that companies require for assembling their products. This could escalate problems in the supply chain and compound production delays.

These upheavals can also substantially affect company profits, which may lead to a depreciation in value. And if shareholders discern a company’s grappling with manufacturing and marketing its products, they may simply liquidate their holdings. Further, if several entities in a particular sector are afflicted by such disruptions, this could trigger a more extensive rout within the market.

Supplementary to this, the surrender of government authority in a nation can have notable consequences for the stock market as well.

Indeed, regulators are pivotal in supervising the market and guaranteeing its fair and transparent functioning. In a milieu where political oversight has collapsed, officials might experience difficulties fulfilling their obligations, which could give rise to a culture where exploitation goes unchecked.

Moreover, deceitful practices such as insider trading can considerably influence a company’s fiscal strength, which could, in turn, impact its value. If investors are convinced that a company is participating in fraudulent activities, they might divest their shares, inducing a reduction in the stock price.

In addition, relinquishing government authority corrodes confidence in the system, causing some market participants to become disinclined to invest.

Can A Company’s Share Price Fall To Zero?

In theory, the market price of a stock is intended to mirror its potential for growth and future earnings. This means that for a firm to lose all its value, a business must possess no net assets and have zero prospects of any profits during the remainder of its lifespan.

However, it is imperative to bear in mind that both these prerequisites must be satisfied. Enterprises currently indebted or exhibiting negative net worth can still be considered a going concern as long as they’re able to demonstrate potential for cash flows further down the line.

Likewise, companies that are operating at a net loss may still sport favorable valuations, provided they have marketable securities or show prospects of generating revenue later on.

In reality, this isn’t rare, as most fledgling companies run at a loss for several years before becoming the finished product. That said, the stock price would plummet to zero if the expectation of future earnings ceases to exist, such as when a company terminates its business proceedings altogether.

Conclusion: What Would Happen If The Stock Market Went To 0?

If the stock market completely crashed, the repercussions would be severe and potentially undoable.

For example, the capacity to freely swap stocks is a vital element of a correctly ordered economy, and any hindrance to this may trigger a domino effect that could result in significant fallout.

Companies would quickly lose access to the funding required to operate and expand, with many being compelled to lay off employees or close down entirely. Investors who had invested their life savings into the market would be stripped of everything, and retirement funds would vanish within moments. Consumer spending would halt, and the resulting economic downturn could cause a recession or depression.

Nevertheless, the outcomes may be noteworthy even if just a few corporations were to fall to zero.

In fact, share prices are frequently perceived as an indication of a company’s fundamental well-being and profitability, where an abrupt rerating to its stock price could suggest severe concerns that extend beyond that specific enterprise.

More so, the breakdown of a firm could result in a contagion affecting the wider supply chain, conceivably influencing other commercial endeavors too.

Despite these doomsday projections, it’s worth remembering that a full spectrum market collapse is an extraordinary circ*mstance that’s unlikely to transpire.

The stock market has encountered substantial declines previously, yet it has consistently bounced back with time.

Furthermore, in modern times, technological advances have made it easier for investors to broaden their investment portfolios, not just with specific stocks but across different exchanges too.