Economists define a bear market as a decline of 20% or more of a major stock market index, such as the DJIA or S&P 500, for a sustained period. A bear market is the opposite of a bull market, a period marked by market gains of 20% or more. If you’re a new investor, you may be tempted to sell your stocks when the market starts to decline.

A bear market should not be confused with a correction, which is a short-term trend that has a duration of fewer than two months. While corrections offer a good time for value investors to find an entry point into stock markets, bear markets rarely provide suitable points of entry. This barrier is because it is almost impossible to determine a bear market’s bottom. Trying to recoup losses can be an uphill battle unless investors are short sellers or use other strategies to make gains in falling markets. While bear markets signal a time of pessimism and economic decline, a bull market is defined by optimism and economic growth.

Fidelity’s recommendation is to save enough cash to cover at least 3 to 6 months’ worth of essential expenses. This is typically enough to cover you in the event of a major unexpected event, like a job loss or medical emergency. In times of uncertainty, you may consider adding even more buffer, especially if you support more than just yourself or your immediate family. Since 1709, the financial world has embraced bears as the mascot for periods when stocks fall on hard times.1 But just because many investors are fearful of bear markets doesn’t mean you need to be.

  • Bull markets are marked by low unemployment rates, a booming GDP, high levels of growth and corporate expansion.
  • A bear market should not be confused with a correction, which is a short-term trend that has a duration of fewer than two months.
  • Fidelity’s recommendation is to save enough cash to cover at least 3 to 6 months’ worth of essential expenses.
  • Investors can get anxious about the future of investments for many different reasons—from global conflict and elections to shifting regulations and changes in consumer spending patterns.
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average officially fell into what investment professionals call a bear market in September 2022.

Stock prices generally reflect future expectations of cash flows and profits from companies. As growth prospects wane, and expectations are dashed, prices of stocks can decline. Herd behavior, fear, and a rush to protect downside losses can lead to prolonged periods of depressed asset prices. It typically describes a condition in which securities prices fall 20% or more from recent highs amid widespread pessimism and negative investor sentiment. Keep in mind that if you get aggressive with your investments during a bear market, it’s impossible to predict when the market will hit bottom. In cases like these, it’s especially important to keep an eye on the long term.

What Is A Bear Market?

One of the most notable bear markets in recent history coincided with the global financial crisis occurring between October 2007 and March 2009. The global COVID-19 pandemic caused the most recent 2020 bear market for the S&P 500 and DJIA. The Nasdaq Composite most recently entered a bear market in March 2022 on fears surrounding war in Ukraine, economic sanctions against Russia, and high inflation. If you hit pause on your investments when prices drop, you won’t be able to swoop up shares at their discounted rate, which can shrink the impact that dollar-cost averaging has on your portfolio. Also, dollar-cost averaging does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. For the strategy to be effective, you must continue to purchase shares whether the market is up or down.

The signs of a weak or slowing economy are typically low employment, low disposable income, weak productivity, and a drop in business profits. In addition, any intervention by the government in the economy can also trigger a bear market. Still, bear markets can reveal important realities you may need to face as an investor. If losing money—even temporarily—makes you lose sleep, you may want to revisit your risk tolerance and asset allocation when the market recovers. Bear markets are the mirror image of bull markets, which represent an increase of at least 20% from market lows. Bear markets are more extreme than market corrections—a term used to describe a downward price swing of at least 10% from a recent high.

But 20% is an arbitrary number, just as a 10% decline is an arbitrary benchmark for a correction. Another definition of a bear market is when investors are more risk-averse than risk-seeking. This kind of bear market can last for months or years as investors shun speculation in favor of boring, sure bets.

However, bear markets are typically temporary, and investors that stay the course and hold onto their stocks during a bear market are typically rewarded for their patience. The ballooning housing mortgage default crisis caught up with the stock market in October 2007. By March 5, 2009, it had crashed to 682.55, as the extent and ramifications of housing mortgage defaults on the overall economy became clear. The U.S. major market indexes were again close to bear market territory on December 24, 2018, falling just shy of a 20% drawdown. The U.S. major market indexes were close to bear market territory on December 24, 2018, falling just shy of a 20% drawdown. More recently, major indexes including the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell sharply into bear market territory between March 11 and March 12, 2020.

Characteristics of a Bear Market

A secular bear market can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years and is characterized by below-average returns on a sustained basis. There may be rallies within secular bear markets where stocks or indexes rally for a period, but the gains are not sustained, and prices revert to lower levels. A cyclical bear market, on the other hand, can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Seeing the value of your portfolio decline sharply can be distressing, but it’s important to remember that bear markets are normal. The stock market is cyclical, so while it may be tempting to sell your stocks when the market is down to protect some of your money, that strategy could hurt you over the long haul. A put option gives the owner the freedom, but not the responsibility, to sell a stock at a specific price on, or before, a certain date.

How to Invest in a Bear Market

Here’s a breakdown of what you should know about bear markets, including tips for your dollars when facing one. If this is the first time you’ve experienced a bear market as an investor, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. However, there are some things you can do now to help manage your portfolio and protect your investment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average officially fell into what investment professionals call a bear market in September 2022. That means that the DJIA declined by at least 20% from its most recent high. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice.

“Bear” and “Bull”

Prior to that, the last prolonged bear market in the United States occurred between 2007 and 2009 during the Financial Crisis and lasted for roughly 17 months. A bear market is a period when investments have fallen at least 20% from recent market highs. The closing price of the S&P 500, an index that tracks the prices of what is lexatrade and how to use it 500 large publicly traded US companies, is often used to gauge if the US stock market is in bear-market territory. The average bull market duration is three years; the longest lasted for 11 years. One definition of a bear market says markets are in bear territory when stocks, on average, fall at least 20% off their high.

On average, bear markets occur every 3.5 years, usually lasting for several months. When the economy is on the back foot, investors tend to be pessimistic and stock prices decline. Inverse ETFs are designed to change values in the opposite direction of the index they track. For example, the inverse ETF for the S&P 500 would increase by 1% if the S&P 500 index decreased by 1%. There are many leveraged inverse ETFs that magnify the returns of the index they track by two and three times.

If your financial house is in order and you feel prepared for an extended bear market, you can consider looking at a bear market as an opportunity to invest more while prices are low. Another option is rebalancing filling the gap stocks your current holdings to allocate more to stocks. Historically, the US stock market has recovered from every bear market, often making sizable gains in the months immediately following the downturn.

Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. Fidelity cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. Views expressed are as of the date indicated, based how to buy dutch coin on the information available at that time, and may change based on market or other conditions. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions provided are those of the speaker or author and not necessarily those of Fidelity Investments or its affiliates.

For example, changes in the tax rate or in the federal funds rate can lead to a bear market. Similarly, a drop in investor confidence may also signal the onset of a bear market. When investors believe something is about to happen, they will take action—in this case, selling off shares to avoid losses. This technique involves selling borrowed shares and buying them back at lower prices.