The S&P 500 is in a bull market. Here’s what that means and how long the bull runs.

The S&P 500 is currently in what Wall Street calls a bull market, or index. increased by 20% More than the recent low.

Here are the answers to your questions about bull and bear markets.

Why is it called a bull market?

CFRA’s chief investment strategist Sam Stovall said Wall Street’s nickname for the soaring stock market is the bull market. In contrast, bears represent a retreating market as bears hibernate.

When did the new bull market start?

This latest bull market is believed to have started on Oct. 13, 2022, a day after the S&P 500 index closed at a recent low of 3,577.03.

Why did the market recover?

The main reason is that the economy has betrayed expectations, at least not yet in recession.

Last year, markets tumbled on concerns about how the worst inflation in decades would wreck the economy. Rather, Wall Street was horrified by the aggressive steps taken by the Federal Reserve to combat high inflation.

The Fed cut interest rates from virtually zero early last year to their highest level since 2007. The aim was to slow down the economy and keep inflation in check by lowering the prices of stocks, bonds and other investments. So while many investors braced for a recession for months, a surprisingly resilient job market is supporting the economy.

Meanwhile, inflation has eased since peaking last summer. Wall Street therefore hopes the Fed will stop raising rates soon.

So all is well?

unlikely. Fed probably still Interest rate hike is not over. Traders expect the Fed to resume rate hikes in July, even though it will be the first time in over a year that rates will remain unchanged at its next meeting. Ultimately, this is expected to be the last rate hike, but sustained inflation could overturn that.

This continues to put pressure on the economy as a whole, especially the already cracked banking and manufacturing industries.

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Most of the S&P 500’s rally this year has been driven by a small group of stocks, which critics say is unsustainable. The S&P 500’s most valuable companies, Apple (+30%), Microsoft (+44%) and Alphabet (+25%) all outperformed the index. Their enormous size gives their movements extra weight to the index, but by 2023, almost half of the index constituents are down.

How long do bull markets typically last?

Since 1932, the bull market has averaged nearly five years, with the S&P 500 index registering a 177.8% gain. The longest bull market began in March 2009 near the end of the Great Recession and wandered Wall Street for almost 11 years.

When was the last bull market?

The last bull market started on March 23, 2020, as the market recovered from a lightning-quick bear market following the outbreak of the global pandemic. The bull market lasted about 21 months, the shortest since 1932, according to data from S&P Dow Jones Indices. Still, the S&P 500 more than doubled (up 114.4%).

Aren’t we just in a bear market?

The S&P 500 has entered a bull market, effectively ending the bear market that began on January 3, 2022. Officially, the bear market is believed to have ended on October 12, 2022.

Declare the end of the bear market While it may seem arbitrary and the definitions used by market watchers vary, it is a useful indicator for investors.

How mean was that bear?

The now-defunct bear market dragged on for about nine months, losing 25.4%. As for the bear market, it was a rather tame one. Since 1950, the average bear market has lasted 13 months, with the S&P 500 index down 34.2%. Since 1929, the average bear market has lasted 19.6 months and the S&P 500 has fallen 39.4%.