S&P 400 MidCap Downtrend Replay (1990-09-10 to 1990-10-11)
Replay a 1990 S&P 400 MidCap correction where the index fell 8.0% across 48 daily bars. Step through the downtrend day by day, navigate 9 decision points, and receive AI coach review on each simulated call.
48 daily bars · 9 decision points · 1990-08 to 1990-10 · Stocks
Key facts
This window spans 66 days with a peak-to-trough drawdown of 12.1% and a 7.1% run-up.
- Max drawdown
- −12.1%
- Max run-up
- +7.1%
- Duration
- 66 days
- Largest single-day move
- −3.7%
- Bars
- 48 Daily bars
- Decision points
- 9
Every figure above is computed programmatically from this replay’s own candle series — no editorial input, no LLM. Methodology: Methodology
The market advances day by day. You only see candles up to the current day — as if you were really there.
At key decision points choose Buy / Trim / Exit / Hold. Each decision advances the timeline by one day.
After settlement you get a six-dimension score and an AI coach review. Your result enters the scenario leaderboard.
Event Replay
What happened — and what it teaches
The S&P 400 MidCap index represents mid-sized US companies, a segment that often behaves differently from both large-caps and small-caps. In late summer 1990, mid-cap stocks faced headwinds from economic uncertainty, with the broader market navigating recession concerns and geopolitical tensions. This replay spans from August 21 through October 26, 1990—48 trading days that captured a meaningful correction in this often-overlooked market segment. Traders entered this scenario facing a deteriorating environment where protecting capital became as important as identifying opportunities.
The index declined from 95.59 to 87.9, representing an 8.0% pullback over the data span. Investors experienced a maximum drawdown of 12.1%, with daily volatility spiking to 3.7% at peak stress points. Across these 48 daily bars, traders confronted 9 decision points—3 of which were critical junctures where positioning decisions carried heightened consequence. Each bar presented a fresh test of whether to hold, reduce exposure, or seek tactical entries on bounces.
This correction teaches three enduring lessons for decision training. First, process matters more than prediction: navigating a known downtrend requires disciplined risk management rather than conviction in calling exact bottoms. Second, risk calibration is ongoing—the 12.1% max drawdown reminds traders that losses compound asymmetrically and position sizing determines survival. Third, psychology separates skilled practitioners from the merely knowledgeable: the emotional pull to abandon strategy at lows or overextend on rallies is the true exam. By replaying these decision points, traders sharpen the habits that separate disciplined execution from reactive guesswork.
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