XLK’s worst drop since 1999 was 82%
Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) fell 82% from Mar 2000 to Oct 2002. It took 16.9 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Mar 2017. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 17th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 1999 to now
How XLK held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | XLK | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | −82.1% | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −53.0% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −31.1% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −33.1% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how XLK behaves inside your whole mix, with the worst 12 months, loss odds and crash replays. Free, no signup, and the math runs in your browser.
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What was XLK’s maximum drawdown?
XLK’s deepest fall since 1999 was 82.1%, from its high on March 27, 2000 to its low on October 9, 2002. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did XLK take to recover?
16.9 years. XLK first closed above its Mar 2000 high again on March 1, 2017.
Was XLK riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, XLK’s worst drop was 82.1% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −63.9% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, January 5, 1999 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.