The Lifespan of a Bull Market: Lessons from the S&P 500

S&P 500 Hits New Record, Confirms Bull Market

The S&P 500 jumped on Friday to a new record, surpassing the previous record level set in January 2022. This achievement confirms that the market is officially in a bull market, which began in October 2022 when the broad index hit a low of 3,577.03. While the conventional definition of a bull market is any gain greater than 20%, most market observers wait for a new high to be made before calling it official. This helps to rule out any bear market bounces that can sometimes tally more than 20%.