A bear market is an extended period of falling prices — conventionally a 20%+ decline from a recent high — often tied to economic slowdown and eroding investor confidence.
Bear markets are often associated with economic slowdown, rising unemployment, falling corporate earnings, and eroding investor confidence. They can be brief and sharp or long and grinding — duration alone says little about severity.
It varies widely — the 2020 COVID decline took roughly a month from peak to trough (and about five months to regain the previous high), while the 2000-2002 and 2007-2009 bear markets ground on for well over a year before bottoming. Duration doesn't predict severity or vice versa.
A bull market — a sustained period of rising prices, conventionally a 20%+ gain from a recent low.
AAPL analysis shows this metric in context, or browse all S&P 500 tickers.
Educational research only — not investment advice.