Will there be another bull market?
However, the index only recently finished recouping its bear-market losses and today sits just slightly above its January 2022 peak. With potential economic threats remaining and market uncertainties looming in 2024, investors may still need to have patience before a truly durable bull market can get underway.
The stock market is coming off a great year in 2023, with the S&P 500 index surging 26.3%, including dividends. It's on the cusp of setting a new all-time high for the first time in two years. It only has to gain another 2.2% to get there, and it would mark the official beginning of a new bull market.
This skepticism is just one reason we think the bull market will march on in 2024, delivering a good-to-great year for global stocks. An age-old myth about markets is that they need catalysts—concrete reasons—to rise. It is hard for many to fathom that, left to their own devices, stocks' natural tendency is to grow.
That means if history repeats itself and the stock market has another positive year in 2024, a new bull market could very well begin -- by all definitions. With that in mind, there are several stocks investors should consider buying ahead of the new year.
Stock Market Forecast 2024: Wall Street Price Targets
Growth is expected to improve in 2024. Analysts are calling for year-over-year earnings growth of 11.5%, Butters says.
Key Takeaways. Potential economic obstacles in 2024 could delay the start of a sustained bull market, but investors can still find opportunities.
Key Takeaways. The U.S. equity market's rally at the end of 2023 has left stocks overvalued, with little room for error. Analysts' estimates for 2024 corporate earnings may be too optimistic, given a likely tapering in U.S. economic growth. Markets may also be overestimating the number of Fed rate cuts in 2024.
How long do bull markets last? A bull market can last more than a decade or a few months. Stocks are in a bull market more often than not. The previous bull market lasted less than two years, starting in March 2020 and ending in January 2022.
3. How long the average bull market lasts. As much as investors would like the answer to this question to be "forever," bull markets tend to run for just under four years. The average bull market duration, since 1932, is 3.8 years, according to market research firm InvesTech Research.
On Holding (NYSE: ONON), Roblox (NYSE: RBLX), and Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) are showing strong business growth that could deliver significant upside in the years to come, according to these Motley Fool contributors. But here's why these stocks could take off this year.
Will stocks decline in 2024?
"Some traders predict a flat or down market in the first half of 2024 due to high inflation, recession fears and rate hikes from the Fed. However, others foresee a bull market continuing, citing potential Fed rate cuts, earnings growth and historical trends around election years."
Bull markets often end with asset prices rising so fast and furiously that they end up in a bubble, with prices way out of connection with fundamentals. Asset prices may then fall as part of a market crash, an abrupt period of often just a few days when prices fall quickly.
Investors have plenty to cheer as 2023 draws to a close, with the S&P 500 ending the year with a gain of more than 24% and the Dow finishing near a record high. Easing inflation, a resilient economy and the prospect of lower interest rates buoyed investors, particularly in the last two months of the year.
Key Takeaways: Growth stocks may see a robust 2024 on the strength of trends such as AI disruption and decarbonization. Small-cap stocks are trading at attractive valuations as analysts see the possibility of a rebound in 2024. The time could be right for locking in rates on long-term, high-yield bonds.
The stock market will rise in 2024 regardless of what the Federal Reserve does with interest rates. Bank of America said the Fed has already made a lot of progress in taming inflation, and that's why stocks are rising.
Stocks are in a bubble that will keep inflating until 2025 and push the market 30% higher, research firm says. The stock market is in a bubble, but that doesn't mean investors should sell their stocks right now. The S&P 500 still has 30% upside between now and the end of 2025, according to Capital Economics.
Analysts project 11.5% earnings growth and 5.5% revenue growth for S&P 500 companies in 2024. Fortunately, analysts see positive earnings and revenue growth for all eleven market sectors this year.
The duration of bear markets can vary, but on average, they last approximately 289 days, equivalent to around nine and a half months. It's important to note that there's no way to predict the timing of a bear market with complete certainty, and history shows that the average bear market length can vary significantly.
In bull markets, growth stocks tend to rise. Here are five top picks to consider now: Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Global-e Online (NASDAQ: GLBE), On Holding (NYSE: ONON), Toast (NYSE: TOST), and Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU).
The updated Dow Jones price prediction for the next 5 years is for the index to trade around 45,000 points. Long Forecast predicts Dow Jones to trade at 39071 points in the first month of 2024 and and advance up to 48,000 points by the end of the year. This is the most bullish Dow Jones forecast for 2024.
Where to invest 2024?
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Long-term certificates of deposit.
- Long-term corporate bond funds.
- Dividend stock funds.
- Value stock funds.
- Small-cap stock funds.
- REIT funds.
- S&P 500 index funds.
Returns in the S&P 500 over the coming decade are more likely to be in the 3%-6% range, as multiples and margins are unlikely to expand, leaving sales growth, buybacks, and dividends as the main drivers of appreciation.
Here's how long they typically last.
Investors who want to benefit from a bull market should buy early in order to take advantage of rising prices and sell them when they've reached their peak. Although it is hard to determine when the bottom and peak will take place, most losses will be minimal and are usually temporary.
Investing in bull and bear markets
Having a higher allocation of stocks is optimal in a bull market, where there's more potential for higher returns. One way to capitalize on the rising prices of a bull market is to buy stocks early on and sell them before they reach their peak.
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