Stock Market Drama Growing as V-Shape Recovery Fails

There is something inherently optimistic and beautiful about the letter V, the way it just stands there balanced on a single point with a ballerina’s poise. We flash it with our fingers as a sign of victory or peace, or on lucky nights when we only want a table for two.

In the never-ending lines of the price and economic data charts so many of us spend our days fixating upon, the appearance of a V inspires confidence. It signals a robust recovery from some abnormality that was probably temporary or technical. When the V attempts to take shape but fails, it’s a different story altogether. It’s like the ballerina has stumbled and the audience isn’t sure if her next move is going to be a pirouette or a face plant.