The winter cycle always brings with it the freeze, which grips and weakens the lesser branches of the tree so they may break off, making the tree stronger in the spring.
The lion eats the weaker, slower gazelles so that the faster ones survive and evolve to get better over time.
The market needed a culling so that it could strengthen, shore up its infrastructure and prepare for the coming Spring.
Those who have been through winters before know how to prepare for them and even prosper.