A viral list on X (Twitter) claimed stock markets in 42 countries are in bear territory. BeInCrypto checked each index against its record high, and 27 hold up. The U.S. is not among them.
A bear market means a fall of 20% or more from a peak. Only seven of the 27 set that peak this year. Eleven are still below records from 1999 to 2008.
Which Markets Fell Into Bear Territory This Year?
Japan crossed the line this week. The Nikkei 225 fell 6% on Friday to 57,434.77, leaving it 21.1% below its June 22 record.
South Korea’s KOSPI is 46.1% off its June peak. On Friday it dropped below 5,000 and set off a 20-minute trading halt. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix make up about half of the index.
Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Taiwan, and Venezuela complete the 2026 group.
On Thursday, the Nasdaq Composite fell 5.52% and a key chip index lost over 12%. Investors feared Democrats’ midterm wins would slow the AI data center buildout.
“This feels like the capitulation phase for the data center capex beneficiary stocks, especially the semiconductors,” Jed Ellerbroek, portfolio manager at Argent Capital Management, told Reuters.
How Close Is Wall Street to the Bear Line?
The Nasdaq closed at 24,315, about 12% below its October 6 record. That is a Nasdaq correction, not a bear market. Another 9% drop would cross the line.
The S&P 500 sits about 6% below its record and would need to lose roughly another 15%.
“Absolutely wild,” analysts at Coin Bureau noted.
Why Most of the 27 Have Little to Do With This Week
Cyprus and Iceland remain more than 75% below records set in 2007. Greece is still nearly 60% under its 1999 peak.
Portugal shows the gap. Its PSI is up about 13% over the past year, according to market data. It still sits 37% below its March 2000 record.
The viral list also included Jordan, which is 19.8% off its high. BeInCrypto could not verify 15 other entries.
