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bull market investment & finance definition

A stock market, or some other financial market, that has traded sharply higher. A market up by approximately 20 percent is considered a bull market, though that percentage can vary.

One of the strongest bull markets ever was the bull market in the latter half of the 1990s, when record gains were recorded until the market peaked in 2000. A bull market is in contrast to a bear market, which is a market that is trading sharply lower by at least 20 percent.

The term bull market came into use in 1714 soon after the term “bear market” was introduced. One of its first uses was in Charles Johnson’s comic play, The Country Lasses. The citation was, “Instead of changing honest staple for Gold and Silver, you deal in Bears and Bulls.” Another reference was made in Colley Cibber’s play The Refusal in 1721.

See bull market in Wall Street Words

An extended period of generally rising prices in an individual item, such as stock or gold; a group of items, such as commodities or oil stocks; or the market as a whole. Because security prices are often subject to reversals, it is sometimes difficult to know whether there has been a temporary interruption in or a permanent end to a bull market. Thus, the opinion of whether a bull market is actually in progress is often subject to individual interpretation. Compare bear market.

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