What is a Bear Market? | Definition and Examples


Bear markets are characterized by a sustained economic decline, which usually occurs when share values fall by at least 20 percent from their previous peak, which reflects a pervasive negativity and negative market sentiment over a certain period of time.

However, individual securities or stocks can also be classified as being in this market if they undergo a drop of 20% or more over a prolonged period, usually eight weeks or more. Bear markets, like a recession, can also appear in conjunction with wider economic downswings.

Bear market in a nutshell

  • A bear market is a sustained 20% stock value decline, signaling widespread negativity.
  • Causes of bear markets: high inflation, overvalued stocks, and global economic disruptions.
  • Binary Options Strategies: Effective strategies in a bear market include put option trading, short selling, hedging, and range trading.

What causes a bear market?

Although many reasons can cause a bear market, some of the chief factors are interest rates, price increases, high stock prices and global variables: 

Interest rates and price increases

Two of the key elements directly contributing to the development of bear markets are the level of growth and the interest rates in the economy. These economic elements have the power to control how the market’s stock values change. In case you want to learn more about what an interest rate is, consider this definition & example.

A high rate of inflation leads to high product prices. It reduces the purchasing power of money. A situation like this would only lead to a stock market sell-off, since investors despise economic systems with peak inflation rates.

High stock prices

Sometimes, company valuations tend to exceed what is logically justified. Some businesses may attract a lot of investor attention and favor even when losing money. The stock values of these businesses may soar as a result. 

The American dot-com bubble is a great illustration of extremely high financial planners of businesses.

The amount that a stock’s value can increase before the market crashes and everything falls apart has a limit. Occasionally, a long bull run can cause company valuations to go through the roof.

Global variables

Contrary to what many market participants believe, the domestic stock markets and the global economy are more closely related. Because of free commerce in this period of globalization, the economies of many nations are now intricately linked. Any significant disturbance in one of the world’s economies can trigger a bear market in a different one.

  • A good illustration of this was the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
  • Tensions in the trade conflict between States and China, two of the biggest economies, illustrate how global variables can cause bear markets.
  • The 2019 explosion of two Saudi Aramco oil plants is a further example of how external forces affect bear markets in India.

How can you trade the bear market with Binary Options?

To trade a bear market with Binary Options, you can use different strategies, such as put option trading or short selling. Mastering bearish market strategies is essential to success in the fast-paced world of binary options trading. When the market is trending downwards, bearish strategies become crucial for traders seeking to profit from falling prices.

Effective Bear Market Strategies for Binary Options are the following:

Put Option Trading

One of the best strategies during a bear market is to buy put options. Traders receive the right to sell an asset at a predetermined price and can profit from falling prices.

Short Selling

Going short is a key strategy for taking a bearish position in binary options. Traders who short sell will profit when the value of assets falls. However, bear markets are challenging as it is difficult to predict the exact timing of the rebound. To minimize the risks, investors often decide to short sell in combination with safer investments and assets that are less likely to fluctuate in the market.

Hedging

Hedging minimizes potential losses by pairing positions that may yield negative results with other positions that go in the intended direction. For example, during bear markets, traders can take long positions in gold and short positions against equities.

Range Trading

This strategy is useful in bear markets where prices move within certain limits. Traders identify these limits and benefit from price movements within the defined range.

What are the key elements of a bear market?

Two of the key elements directly contributing to the development of bear markets are the level of inflation and the borrowing rates in the economy. 

Furthermore, when stock prices adjust to their right appraisals, excessive stock share prices will invariably result in a bear market. The stock market will also suffer from an increase in the cost of basic commodities like crude oil, steel, wheat, and rice, among others.

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About the author

Marc Van Sittert
Marc Van Sittert is an experienced Binary Options Trader and coach who is originally from South Africa. He started his career in 2014 by trading old-school Binary Options online. His main focus is on short-term contracts with 60-second trades.

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