Summary
The S&P 500 has popped approximately 67% from its bear-market lows at 3577 on October 12, 2022. There was some concern that this bull market might falter, but it surpassed the 20%-gain mark back in June 2023 and then established a new high in January 2024. Yes, there have been some wobbly steps along the way, due to concerns over high inflation, high interest rates, and the risk of a recession. But the market seems to have settled down as the economy continues to grow and inflation remains under control. What can investors expect going forward from a bull market? We studied the 13 bull markets that have occurred since the end of World War II. On average, the S&P 500 gained 164% during these 13 periods, which averaged 57 months in duration. We also note that recent bull markets have generated higher returns over longer periods of time. On average, the five bull markets since 1980 have seen stocks advance about 240% over a period of 70 months. The bull market prior to the pandemic carried on for 11 years, during which stocks rose 500%. It is worth pointing out, though, that the 2009-2020 bull market b
