From Bear to Bull: What's Next for the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 has exited the longest bear market since 1948, taking 164 trading days from the bear-market low to exit. The average bear-market lasts 142 trading days. A 20% rise from a recent low signals the start of a bull market while a 20% fall signals the start of a bear market. The market is always in either a bull or bear market, and it takes another 10% or 20% move in the opposite direction to change the status. History shows that bear-market exits usually lead to durable bull markets, but there is a lot of variability. Stocks were boosted after a rise in first-time jobless claims appeared to reinforce expectations the Federal Reserve will leave rates unchanged when it meets next week.