The 90s Tech Boom is Still the Longest and Biggest Bull Market in U.S. History

This graphic visualizes the S&P 500’s top 5 bull markets, ranked by their % return from start to end. A bull market is usually characterized by a period of time where stocks rise over 20%.

In first place is the tech boom of the 90s, which ran from December 1987 to March 2000, and generated a massive 582% return. Second is the post-financial crisis recovery, which was aided by an extended period of low interest rates. 

Today’s bull market began in early October 2022, driven largely by expected interest rate cuts.