After the market sank, the ratio shot up to 82 percent, indicating that investors expected a further decline in the Dow.
While the market sank to its worst performance in more than a decade, many of those analysts kept right on smiling and saying "buy."
After the devaluation, the market sank steadily, reaching a low, on Feb. 27, of 1447.52.
If you own a slip, these experts say, do not try to unload it now out of a fear that the market will sink even lower.
The Japanese market sank 33.18 percent, measured by the yen and 26.42 percent in dollars.
But its market has sunk 6 percent in dollars since December began.
For one night, the market had sunk back to the levels of 1990-91, when experts said prices had bottomed out.
Then came Tiananmen Square in 1989, and the market sank.
Each market that opened sank precipitously in the first few minutes.
But some funds foundered when emerging markets sank last year.