Time is the most important variable on Wall Street.

Over short periods, the performance of the major indexes can be unpredictable. For instance, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S 500, and Nasdaq Composite, all plunged into a bear market in 2022 after rocketing to new highs in the previous year.

But over long stretches, time is an undefeated ally for investors. Even though short-term corrections and bear markets can't be predicted with any accuracy, we do know that every previous dip in the major indexes was eventually wiped away by a bull market rally. For patient investors, it means corrections and bear markets represent a surefire buying opportunity.

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Source Fool.com