A bull market isn't here yet. But one could be on the way. How can I be so sure? These times of market growth always follow bear markets. Last year, all three major benchmarks fell into bear territory, and some of the world's best companies saw their shares follow.

These days, things are looking bright. The S 500 has increased more than 20% from its bear market low back in October. And now investors are waiting for just one thing to call a bull market: The Index must reach new highs. Meanwhile, you can prepare for the new bull market by investing in stocks that could thrive in such an environment. Consumer-related shares are a great place to start, because they may benefit from any boost in spending. Here are two top companies to get in on before the next bull market.

Everybody is talking about Barbie these days. After all, the world's favorite doll is starring in her own movie -- and trends from the premiere weekend are looking good. Barbie scored the biggest opening day of 2023, according to Variety. This is great news for (NASDAQ: MAT) because Barbie is one of the top three brands at the toy company. These brands make up about 60% of Mattel's worldwide gross billings, or its sales to toy retailers, so strength in any one of them is clearly important.

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Source Fool.com