Spot price of West Texas Intermediate in relation to the price of Brent Crude. Historically price differences between Brent and other index crudes have been based on physical differences in crude oil specifications and short-term variations in supply and demand.
When does market failure occur? Whenever resources are not allocated efficiently. ie. total surplus is not maximised. What are the main types of market failure?
Over the last hundred years, there have been several large stock market crashes that have plagued the American financial system. For example, during the Great Depression, stock prices dropped to 10% of their previous highs and during the crash of 1987, the market fell more than 20% in one day. Due to the way stocks are traded, investors can lose quite a bit of money if they don't understand how fluctuating share prices affect their wealth.