With 2022 approaching its close, Wall Street appears to be set to end the year the way it began the year--marred by highly volatile as investors fear a possible imminent recession.
As it stands, major averages are on track to snap three-year winning streaks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
Market participants are set to leave 2022 with outlooks clouded by hawkish global central banks in response to persistently high inflation, and concerns over longer-than-previously expected high interest rate environments and the impact those policies will have on the health of both the U.S. and the broader global economy.
Dana Peterson, chief economist of The Conference Board, told CNBC in an interview earlier this month that a recent survey concluded by the organization showed 98% of CEOs expect the U.S. to enter a period of economic recession within the next 12 to 18 months.
With that in mind, let's look back over the major events of the year that have shaped 2022 to be yet another historic year in recent memory.
Jan. 3 Apple
February 3 Meta Platforms
February 24 Russia invades Ukraine.
March 16 The U.S. Federal Reserve issued its first interest rate hike since 2018, raising rates by 25 basis points to mark the end of the central bank's loose policy in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
April 7 U.S. initial unemployment claims fall to 166,000, the lowest level since 1968.
April 28 The U.S. GDP contracts for the first time since 2020, falling 1.4% in the first quarter's initial estimate by the Commerce Department.
May 4 The Fed raises interest rates by 0.50% for the first time since 2000.
May 9 TerraUSD falls to as low as $0.35 in its second "dollar peg" loss in three days, marking the start of the stablecoin's collapse. The broader cryptocurrency market losses over $200 billion in value in response.
June 11 U.S. gas prices reach a record $5 per gallon national average, according to AAA.
June 11 The Biden administration lifts international COVID testing travel restrictions for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, signaling a major turning point in the nation's recovery in the wake how highly effective vaccines and treatments.
July 12 The euro and the U.S. dollar reached parity for the first time in 20 years.
June 13 Inflation reaches a new four-decade high of 9.1% year-over-year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
June 13 The S&P 500 entered its current bear market, falling 20% below its all-time closing high of 4,796.56 reached on Jan. 3, 2022.
July 27 The Fed raises interest rates by 0.75% for the first time since 1994.
August 16 President Joe Biden signs the $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act into law.
September 5 Liz Truss becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Boris Johnson who announced his resignation in July 2022.
September 8 Queen Elizabeth II dies, with son King Charles III acceding to the throne.
October 25 Rishi Sunak succeeds Liz Truss as new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with Truss only holding the position for 50 days.
October 27 U.S. mortgage rates top 7% for the first time in 20 years.
October 27 Elon Musk completes his acquisition of Twitter, effectively taking the social media giant private.
November 3 Netflix
November 9 Amazon
November 17 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi steps down as House Democratic leader after two decades.
November 20 Bob Iger returns as CEO of Disney
November 27 Protests over the nation's restrictive COVID policies erupt across mainland China.
November 28 FTX files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as CEO Sam Bankman-Fried steps down in another shake up in the cryptocurrency market.
December 14 The Fed slows the pace of rate hikes, issuing a 0.50% hike after four consecutive 0.75% increases.
