The difference between bullish and bearish is simple: ‘bullish’ traders believe that a stock or
the overall market will go higher, and ‘bearish’ traders believe a stock or
the overall market will go down, or underperform <a name=\'more\'></a> .
Bullish vs. bearish markets: how well do you understand
the difference?
When you start trading, you can hear some strange market lingo. After
the market crash and coronavirus pandemic, two terms seem to stand out even more: bull market and bear market.
The market’s extremely volatile these days. So it’s even more crucial that you understand
the basics, like bullish vs. bearish.
Personally, I think
the market was long overdue for a correction after over 10 years of a bull market. I didn’t anticipate this kind of volatility. But I’m still prepared to trade through it — and to teach you how too. Access my no-cost, two-hour “Volatility Survival Guide” to learn how to ride
the wild momentum.
As for
the bullish vs. bearish definition … let’s dig in to better understand these terms and what it all means for your trading.
How Did
the Bull and Bear
Markets Get Their Names?
How Did
the Bull and Bear
Markets Get Their Names?
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Legend has it that in
the 1200s bulls and bears were used for
the gruesome sport of bear-baiting. It was a practice that pitted a bull or a bear against a pack of dogs in a fight to
the death. Large crowds would gather and place bets on
the outcome.
Soon it was common to reference people by
the animals they bet on. If you were feeling bullish, you were literally betting on
the bull to win
the fight.
But it’s also about how
the animals fought. When a bull attacks, it thrusts its horns upward. When a bear attacks it swats downward. So if you’re bullish, you think
the market will go up. If you’re bearish, you think
the market will go down.
These terms evolved over
the past 800 years to become standard market terminology today.
Sometimes you’ll hear traders say things like “the bulls are advancing … they really have momentum going into
the close.”
… or “the bears are dominant today. The bulls are getting crushed!”
BTW, all this talk of awful treatment of animals sickens me. I hate animal cruelty. I’m so honored to support hardworking charities caring for endangered animals through my Karmagawa Foundation. It’s a scary time for too many species unless we make serious changes in
the way we treat this planet.
We MUST respect our planet, animals, and each other MUCH MORE. Find out how you can help here.
Now let’s look at…
The Definition of
Bullish vs. Bearish
The Definition of
Bullish vs. Bearish
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In short, bullish action means market or stock prices are on
the rise.
Bearish action means market or stock prices are on
the decline. That’s
the closest we’ll get to a true definition.
Beyond that, bullish and bearish are more like concepts.
When you’re bullish you favor an increase in price. If you’re bearish, you want that price to drop.
You don’t have to be one or
the other. You can be bearish on
the markets but bullish on a sector, for example. There are lots of ways to look at
the bulls and
the bears, so let’s start with
the broader markets.
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What Is a Bull Market?
A bull market is an uptrending market. Remember, bulls go up.
So what do traders mean by ‘the market?’ Most refer to
the overall market, and
the index most referenced is
the S&P 500. That’s a weighted average of
the 500 largest publicly traded companies listed in
the U.S.
It’s easy to spot a bull market —
the S&P 500 will trend up and post new highs. Stock prices rise month over month. We saw this in 2017, 2019, and into
the beginning of 2020.
Check out
the S&P 500 daily candle chart to get an idea of what a strong bull market looks like. This was 2019.
SPY chart
SPY chart: 1-year, daily candle, strong bull market — courtesy of StocksToTrade.com
Historically, bull markets tend to last longer and be more powerful than bear markets. Since
the dawn of
the U.S. stock market, prices trend up over time.
Of course, there are hiccups along
the way. Which is
the perfect time to address…
What Is a Bear Market?
Bear markets are when
the market declines. Overall stock prices fall. Sellers overwhelm buyers.
When
the S&P 500 declines by 20% or more from record highs,
the market’s in bear-market territory. By that definition, we entered into a bear market in early 2020. The S&P 500 went from over 3,300 to less than 2,300 in just two weeks. That’s a 30% decline.
Let’s look at
the S&P 500 chart from
the beginning of 2020. You can clearly see a huge drop. This is what a bear market looks like.
SPY chart
SPY chart: 8-Month, daily candle, bear market — courtesy of StocksToTrade.com
Bear markets can get much bigger than 20%. During
the Great Recession,
the market was down 50%. Half of all value in
the market was gone.
Characteristics of
Bullish vs.
Bearish Markets
Characteristics of
Bullish vs.
Bearish Markets
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
During bull markets, we tend to have low unemployment, stable oil prices, a relatively stable global economy, and lots of people spending money.
Companies rake in profits with no reason to stop or slow down anytime soon.
Bear markets are
the opposite. They’re marked by high unemployment. Oil prices can spike or collapse quickly. The global economy is less stable, and international tension may be on
the rise.
Businesses don’t typically make as much money, and it’s uncertain as to when or if they’ll hit their highs again.
Not every bull or bear market is
the same. Every moment in
the market is unique. But these are
the general characteristics of bull and bear markets.
Bullish vs.
Bearish Candlestick Patterns
I’ve made literally thousands of videos that deal with candlestick patterns. There are far too many to get into in this post.
Check out Steve Nison’s “The Candlestick Course” to better understand how
the patterns work. I also suggest you read “The Complete Penny Stock Course” written by my student Jamil (I wrote
the forward). That book answers so many of
the most frequently asked trading questions.
For now, I’ll show you a few basic bullish vs. bearish candlestick patterns. These patterns alone aren’t enough to get me in a trade. Always take
the whole story into account and build a case for trading. Never take a single indicator on its own.
New to penny stocks? Access my FREE penny stock guide here. And sign up for my no-cost weekly watchlist here.
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The
Bullish Engulfing Pattern
In this pattern,
the first candle is on
the left and smaller than
the second candle. The second candle will completely ‘engulf’
the first candle by both starting lower and finishing higher than
the first candle.
bullish pattern
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
Seems simple, right? Again, I like to look at
the whole picture. While this can be an indication of
the trend reversal, it’s not a guarantee. I always consider several indicators like volume, time of day, and catalysts before I take a trade.
Here’s one more basic candlestick pattern…
supernova placement
The
Bearish Engulfing Candle
Just like with
the bullish engulfing pattern,
the first candle is smaller than
the second candle on
the right. The second candle will once again engulf
the first candle — starting higher and finishing lower than
the first.
bearish pattern
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
This is a bearish engulfing candlestick pattern. Study these charts. These patterns repeat. Learn to recognize them in
the heat of
the moment.
It’s also important to know
the limits of a pattern too. A bearish engulfing pattern is not a signal to short a low float on its first green day. Take
the whole picture into account before placing a trade.
These are basic patterns, and there’s so much more to study. Follow up by studying
the bull flag and breakouts. These are great patterns that can work in any market.
How Can You Trade
Bullish vs.
Bearish Markets?
How Can You Trade
Bullish vs.
Bearish Markets?
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
Most traders lose money. But my top students and I trade through any market conditions.
How? We study. We’re dedicated and committed to trading smarter. I’ve been trading for over 20 years. I started with about $12,000. I’ve now made over $5 million trading penny stocks. I log more profits than losses every single year.*
Some of my top students like Tim Gritanni have made even more than that.* Everyone wants to know how we do it.
The concept is simple — but
the execution is hard.
We recognize
the patterns. The markets may change, but
the patterns mostly stay
the same. My top students and I know how to trade through anything. We learn
the patterns that work for our strategies, then adapt them to what works in
the market now.
Can you do
the same? I think you can. But you have to work for it.
Trading is HARD. What works for one person won’t always work for someone else.
This is not a way to get rich quick. You may not get rich at all for that matter. It’s about learning
the process. I teach
the process I’ve used for over two decades to help my students shorten their learning curve. Learn from my mistakes.
I love to teach … But you need to be willing to learn. This is a tough game. Over 90% of traders fail. If you want to be different from
the 90%, you gotta do something different.
(*Please note: these results are not typical. My students and I spent years developing exceptional skills and knowledge. Always remember trading is risky. 90% of traders lose money. Never risk more than you can afford.)
Trading Challenge
I challenge myself to find
the hardest working students and train them to become self-sufficient traders.
I have a strict application process — I won’t accept just anyone. You must be willing to work hard. This is not an easy road, so slackers need not apply.
Ready to take charge of your own life, apply now for my Trading Challenge. Show me you have what it takes.
Bullish and
Bearish Indicators
Indicators on charts can show
the overall market sentiment.
These lines can indicate a change from bullish to bearish and bearish to bullish.
Some common indicators include
the VWAP and moving averages. When
the price crosses one of these lines, it shows
the stock or
the market trend is changing direction. These indicators help show who’s in charge …
the buyers, aka
the bulls, or
the sellers, aka
the bears.
When
the price falls below
the VWAP, that’s bearish. And if
the price spikes up through
the VWAP that’s bullish.
Full disclosure: I don’t trade using indicators.
Never trade on a single piece of information on its own. Don’t trade based solely on these indicators. Take
the entire picture into account.
Trading in
Bullish Markets vs.
Bearish Markets
Trading in
Bullish Markets vs.
Bearish Markets
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
The key to trading in any market is to trade with
the market and never try to predict. Always react.
I’ve been going long even in
the current bear market. I prefer to trade in hot sectors. Right now,
the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc across
the international marketplaces. But some stocks could actually benefit…
We’ve seen huge spikes in
the food-delivery, face mask, and vaccine stocks.
My trades on Luvu Brands, Inc. (OTCQB: LUVU) and Galaxy Next Geberation, Inc. (OTCQB: GAXY) happened while
the rest of
the market was crashing. I made more than $1,000* on each of those trades. Meanwhile,
the S&P 500 was down 30% in two weeks.
The key is to find what works for you and stick to it. It’s OK to not trade every day. There will be more trades tomorrow and
the day after…
How can you survive in any market? Limit your trades to
the very best setups for your strategy.
(*Please note: my results are not typical. I’ve spent years developing exceptional skills and knowledge. Always remember trading is risky. Never risk more than you can afford.)
When Does a Market Change From
Bearish to Bullish?
When Does a Market Change From
Bearish to Bullish?
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
A market goes bullish when there aren’t enough sellers to continue to push
the prices down.
After a major event like
the Great Recession or this year’s coronavirus pandemic,
the bears will eventually run out of steam. The selling will slow and
the market will turn from bearish to bullish. It’s easy to spot in hindsight, but nearly impossible to see in real time.
There are so many ‘experts’ and ‘gurus’ who try to predict
the next market move. Sometimes they get lucky and get it right. But you can out pick most ‘experts’ by flipping a coin.
So don’t spend your time trying to pick
the top or pick
the bottom. Study specific patterns and learn
the patterns that repeat over and over again.
If you’re truly ready to learn a process, apply now for my Trading Challenge.
Conclusion
Conclusion
© 2020 Millionaire Media, LLC
Markets rise and fall. Bulls push higher and bears will push lower.
The key to making money in
the market is to be on
the side of
the more powerful force. When
the bulls have
the upper hand, I stay on
the long side. When
the bears have
the upper hand, I watch for a hot sector. Just like with coronavirus stocks and sympathy plays.
At
the end of
the day, terms like bullish vs. bearish are just another way of saying up or down, buy or sell, long or short. Traders use these terms interchangeably.
Remember,
the key to trading in any market — bear or bull — is to react. Never try to predict. Trying to pick
the top and
the bottom is a great way to go broke.
Is this your first bear market? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!