What is a Bear Market?

We have all heard the term bear market, but what is a bear market and how is this market defined? A bear market refers to a market that is declining. Stock prices go down over an extended time and this leads investors to believe that this downward trend will continue. This can start a vicious cycle that repeats. A bear market means an economy which is slowing, and one characteristic is a rising unemployment level in the country. This occurs because businesses are not making large profits, so many lay off workers to cut costs.

There are many factors and characteristics that can help investors determine a bear market. There are also some factors that can contribute to the market fall. Investor psychology is one of the biggest influences that affect the market, and it plays a huge part in how the market fluctuates. The way that investors perceive the market plays a big part in their behavior and trading activity on the market. If investors believe that there is a bear market, they will start to trade differently. Instead of investing more in the stock market, investors start to sell, so that the money can be invested in fixed income securities instead. Investor psychology will determine whether the market goes up or down, based on the feelings and sentiments of the investors. If investors believe the market is going down, many traders want to sell but few are willing to buy. This will push market prices down more, which creates even less of an incentive to purchase and more of an incentive to sell. This turns into a downward spiral that may be difficult to stop. Investor confidence in the market is crucial to turning a bear market around, so that the market heads back up again. A decline in the market price will cause investors to lose their confidence in the stock market, and so they stop investing and start selling. This causes even more of a decline, which causes investors to lose more confidence. The bear market will continue until confidence is restored in the market.

In a bear market, the economy also plays an important part. If the economic activity changes, this can signal the start of a bear market. This market is usually characterized by a slowdown in consumer spending and economic activity, and is associated with an economy that is weak, unstable, or both. There is a very strong connection between the market, market prices, and the economy. The market will usually follow the economy, and if the economy slows then so does the market, leading to a bear market. In a weak economy, consumers do not spend unless they have to, and this means a loss of profits for businesses. These businesses see lower stock prices on the market, and cut their costs by laying off workers, closing stores, and using other methods which can cause a decrease in consumer confidence. A bear market usually occurs when a recession or depression is happening. A bear market poses much higher risks for investors, because the market is going down. Since it is impossible to tell when this downward spiral will end, investors who trade on a bear market are much more likely to take a loss. This stops investors from trading, and this lowers stock prices even more. Many investors put their money into fixed income securities and defensive stocks during bear markets, to maximize stability and minimize risks. Defensive stocks are stocks for certain industries that will not be affected as much by economic conditions. This includes utilities, because we need electricity and heat no matter what the economy is doing, so it is unlikely that the price of these stocks will drop too much.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.