For the past 15 months, Wall Street has been testing the resolve of investors. In that time, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S&P 500, and growth-dependent Nasdaq Composite all fell into a bear market.

Although bear markets can be scary due to the unpredictability and velocity of moves lower, they also offer a phenomenal opportunity for long-term-minded investors to do some shopping. Despite never being able to predict when bear markets will occur or when they'll bottom with any preciseness, we do know that every previous bear market has eventually (key word!) been fully recouped by a bull market rally. Essentially, double-digit declines in the broader market are an open invitation to snag high-quality stocks at a discount.

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Source Fool.com