Price surges happen more frequently during bear markets than bull markets. This is a critical point to consider when evaluating significant market rallies, such as the one on January 15, following optimistic interpretations of recent U.S. inflation data.
On that day, the Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) surged 2.5%, leading some to declare that the bull market had regained momentum after a December slump. However, historical data suggests otherwise.
A large proportion of dramatic one-day gains in the past have occurred when the market’s overall trend was bearish. If you were to base your market outlook solely on January 15’s rally, historical patterns would suggest that we are more likely in a bear market.
To investigate, I analyzed Nasdaq’s history since its inception in 1971, using bear and bull market classifications provided by Ned Davis Research. Over the last 50+ years, approximately 25% of trading days occurred during bear markets.
If massive one-day rallies were randomly distributed, we’d expect only a quarter of them to align with bear markets. If these rallies indicated bull markets, the share occurring during bear markets should be even lower.
However, the data paints a different picture. Among the 25 largest single-day gains since 1971, 80% took place during bear markets. Even when broadening the scope to the 100 biggest rallies, 61% occurred in bear markets.
These statistics highlight that sharp upward movements are more characteristic of bear markets, often reflecting volatility and investor overreaction, rather than a definitive return to bullish conditions.
