Five anonymised historical charts were dealt to every player. The Monkey Index returned -0.04% across the same tape.
63 desks completed all five charts.
The Eurozone debt crisis had the market terrified of another banking collapse, leaving Wall Street's big brokerages battered throughout the summer. This is the week the panic finally ran out of sellers.
After the Brexit shock in June, the street wanted dull, bulletproof balance sheets that would not produce any surprises. Honeywell spent three months grinding in a tight range, and the buyers never let go.
Cheap fast food was the classic defensive bet of the financial crisis, and the fierce spring bounce off the March bottom had swept the shares up with it. This was the week the relief run paused for breath.
The mid-2000s housing boom was in full stride and nobody was questioning bank balance sheets yet, so regional lenders were treated as bulletproof, sleepy money. That quiet summer drift simply ran out of steam.
Winter lockdowns were in full swing and half the market wondered if commercial landlords would ever collect normal rent again, even with vaccines on the way. This is the week buyers stepped back in.