How Low Can PLSE Really Go In A Market Crash?
To accurately assess risk, investors must look at how an asset behaves when the system breaks. In the 8 major market dislocations since it began trading, Pulse Biosciences (PLSE) has averaged a -34% contraction, compared to the S&P 500’s -15% drop.
If you are an investor in PLSE stock, you might be asking: if the macroeconomic environment fractures, how far can this stock actually fall?
One of the ways to understand this is to simply see how the stock has performed during past market crashes.
How Does It Handle Rate & Valuation Shock?
2022 Fed Tightening Inflation Bear Market (Jan 2022 to Oct 2022)
- CPI hit 9.1%, forcing aggressive tightening since Volcker. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine further spiked global energy and food prices.
- Stocks and bonds fell simultaneously, eliminating the 60/40 hedge. Rising rates crushed long-duration assets until CPI declined in October 2022.
PLSE stock experienced -92% drawdown during this event, compared to -24% for the S&P and -35% for bonds.
What Happens During Growth & Demand Scare?
Q4 2018 Fed Policy Error / Growth Scare (Oct 2018 to Jan 2019)
- Powell stated rates were far from neutral on October 3. This coincided with trade war escalation and a curve inversion, signaling a looming recession.
- Markets signaled a policy error as every sector fell. December 2018 was the worst since 1931 until the Fed reversed course in January 2019.
PLSE stock saw -36% drawdown vs -19% for the S&P and -2.2% for bonds.
How It Fares During Sovereign & Geopolitical Risk?
2025 US Tariff Shock (Feb 2025 to Jun 2025)
- The Trump administration announced 145% tariffs on Chinese imports on April 2, 2025, representing the most aggressive trade action since the 1930s.
- Equities and the dollar fell simultaneously, signaling lost confidence. Supply chain disruptions and small-cap input inflation drove broad declines, affecting nearly all sectors.
The drawdown for PLSE stood at -29% compared to -19% for the S&P and -3.8% for bonds.
Past Market Shock Drawdowns Summarized For PLSE
| Shock Event | S&P | Bonds | Sector | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 Trump Reflation Bond Selloff | -3.7% | -15% | -9.1% | -17% |
| Q4 2018 Fed Policy Error / Growth Scare | -19% | -2.2% | -15% | -36% |
| 2020 COVID-19 Crash | -34% | -0.7% | -28% | -32% |
| 2022 Fed Tightening Inflation Bear Market | -24% | -35% | -14% | -92% |
| 2023 SVB Regional Banking Crisis | -6.7% | -4.3% | -7.1% | -17% |
| Summer-Fall 2023 Five Percent Yield Shock | -9.5% | -17% | -9.0% | -42% |
| 2024 Yen Carry Trade Unwind | -7.8% | -1.2% | -0.2% | -7.4% |
| 2025 US Tariff Shock | -19% | -3.8% | -12% | -29% |
[1] 2016-2017 Trump Reflation Bond Selloff: Trump’s election spurred fiscal stimulus hopes, rotating capital from bonds into cyclicals.
[2] Q4 2018 Fed Policy Error / Growth Scare: Powell’s hawkish comments and trade war fears triggered the worst December since 1931.
[3] 2020 COVID-19 Crash: Pandemic lockdowns caused history’s fastest bear market before massive stimulus drove recovery.
[4] 2022 Fed Tightening Inflation Bear Market: 9.1% CPI forced aggressive rate hikes, crushing both stocks and bonds simultaneously.
[5] 2023 SVB Regional Banking Crisis: SVB’s rate-driven bond losses triggered a social-media bank run, seized by FDIC.
[6] Summer-Fall 2023 Five Percent Yield Shock: Strong economic data pushed 10-year yields to 5%, compressing yield-sensitive sector valuations.
[7] 2024 Yen Carry Trade Unwind: BOJ rate hike unwound yen carry trades, briefly crashing tech stocks globally.
[8] 2025 US Tariff Shock: 145% China tariffs crashed equities and the dollar on supply chain disruption fears.
So What Can You Do For Your Investments?
While the headline panic over macroeconomic shocks can be deafening, letting fear dictate your trades leaves your portfolio highly exposed. Drawdowns of this magnitude are embedded in PLSE’s historical profile. If the thesis for owning the business remains intact, a steep contraction during a Rate & Valuation Shock environment should be viewed as the baseline expectation, not a fundamental failure.
This is where rule-based portfolio investment approach, such as Trefis High Quality Portfolio (HQ) makes a difference. It allows you to stay invested when markets are fearful and volatile by dampening the risk. HQ has returned > 105% since inception.