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- At the start of 2020, the killing of Qassam Soleimani, and the Iranian-US tensions that followed, was the biggest story in town for markets.
- But COVID-19 soon began to spread across the world, causing markets to tank. It's been a rollercoaster ride ever since.
- From oil prices turning negative in April to famed investor Warren Buffett selling his airline stocks in May, here are the top 15 market events of 2020 so far.
In early 2020, the big story for markets was the new low in US-Iran relations following the killing of Iranian general Qassam Soleimani. In the aftermath, the US slapped fresh sanctions on the Gulf nation, the Iranian armed forces shot down a Ukranian airline plane in error, and investors worried about what might happen next.
Little did they know what the following few months had in store.
Coronavirus sparked a chain reaction in global financial markets, and has become the dominant market force ever since. Stock markets hit a low on 23 March as major economies entered lockdown, and later rebounded thanks to major stimulus packages. Investors remain hyper-sensitive to any COVID-19 news, both positive and negative, including the progress on vaccines and an easing of lockdowns.
COVID-19 has, without question, been the biggest markets story of 2020.
But it's not been the only one.
Markets have also watched former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam step down following a spying scandal and German payment processor Wirecard collapse after the discovery a $2 billion hole in its balance sheet — and let's not forget oil prices turning negative, a historic moment that stunned traders on both sides of the Atlantic.
Business Insider has rounded the top 15 market moments of the year so far. Here they are: