The thing about the beginning of a bull market is that it is always obvious in retrospect, but never in real time. Bull markets are born out of bear markets, after all, which are characterized by negative stock returns and plenty of doomsaying on Wall Street. That's hardly an environment that inspires lots of confidence from shareholders.

Yet, optimism can be a valuable asset for investors. Stocks typically rise over the long term and have generally produced some amazing returns in time frames measured in decades rather than months. So, if you think that another bull market is on the way, or has already started, then it pays to have some strong stocks on your watchlist for the rally ahead.

My pick for that situation is Procter Gamble (NYSE: PG). Here's why.

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Source Fool.com