Stock Market Crash
A stock market crash is a sudden decline of stock prices in stock markets. It
usually happens due to panic among stockholders and various economic factors. These
crashes usually occur after a long period of rising stock prices (due to going
speculations), when P/E ratios are far above their averages. According to Benjamin
Graham, the father of securities analysis, there are three main forces behind the market
crash: the manipulation of stocks, the lending of money to buy stocks and excessive
optimism.
The most famous market crash, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as
Black Tuesday, happened on October, 29 1929. It is regarded as a start of the Great
Depression. All of the three forces mentioned above contributed to this crash.
American economy was blooming in the 1920s. NYSE was the largest stock
market in the world. From 1920 till 1929 many stocks quadrupled in value. Thus, many
people invested their money in stocks, expecting to gain profit. It led to speculative
boom that took place in late twenties: the rising share prices were encouraging people
to invest even more. Many of the investors had to borrow money to buy stocks but they
only had to have 10% equity and 90% margin to buy securities. Speculations on stocks
stimulated further price rises and created an economic bubble. The P/E ratios in 1929
were far beyond historical norms. The high level of speculations increased anxiety of
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Peer Reviews
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Quality of writing
This essay is written well, having a clear structure. I liked how the introduction defined the key terms in the question, and the conclusion relates directly back to the task set. The style could be improved slightly by using terms such as "in hindsight" or "it is now clear that" or "it depends greatly upon" to ensure the top marks are gained. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are strong. An essay to be admired!
Level of analysis
The analysis is strong here, and technical terms are used throughout. I would've liked to have seen a bit more explanation of terms such as P/E or institutions such as FDIC - the acronyms are simply not enough to gain the highest marks. What I particularly liked in this essay is how they have explained the effects of each crash, talking about first tier impacts and second tier impacts. A good skill is displayed in describing the 1987 crash, with the essay explaining that the cause is still argued today. It is key in Business and Studies and Economics to show awareness that often there is no right solution or cause, and schools of thought change over time. It could've been relevant to talk about the Lehman Brothers incident in 2008 to extend the argument.
Response to question
This essay engages superbly with the question, exploring the causes of a stock market crash and evaluating why significant crashes were caused. I liked how they used two historical crashes and one current financial crisis. If this essay wanted to improve, it would have been nice to see some evaluation as to whether the historic crashes could happen again for the same reasons, but this is only necessary as an extension.