Five anonymised historical charts were dealt to every player. The Monkey Index returned -0.05% across the same tape.
94 desks completed all five charts.
The AI frenzy was lifting chip designers, but memory equipment was still shaking off a punishing cyclical hangover. The rally paused for breath, and buyers quietly held the line.
Bear Stearns had just collapsed and the credit crunch was spreading across Wall Street, so even surging trading volumes could not shield the exchange operators. Sellers were not done yet.
The post-election rotation had briefly rattled defensive dividend payers, but steady tobacco cash flows were never going to stay out of favour for long. The quiet climb carried right through the week.
Post-crisis rules were pushing derivatives onto electronic exchanges, turning nimble operators into Wall Street's new plumbing. After a relentless run to start the year, the rally finally took a breather.
With the first tremors of the subprime crisis starting to rattle Wall Street, money was quietly seeking cover in bulletproof consumer staples. The steady grind higher kept right on going.