Are we at the start of a new bull market? Technically, yes and no -- and maybe. A bull market is generally defined as an extended period when the market is up 20% or more from recent lows. The S 500 is up about 18% year to date and 19% over the past one-year period. However, it might be considered a bull market as its up 26% from its Oct. 2022 lows.

For technology stocks, though, it's a clear bull market as the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is up 31% year to date (YTD) and 21% over the past year as of July 12. Then again, we could be moving toward a broader market bull run, or maybe this will just be a bear market rally. How's that for a waffle?

The thing is, there is no official agency that declares a bull market, and only in retrospect can one truly ascertain if there has been a bull market. But as a long-term investor, I've learned that the more important thing to know is that bull markets, on average, last longer than bear markets, and they generate higher returns than bear markets do losses. So, the odds are in your favor. That said, if this is the start of a new bull market, it is a particularly good time to be in the market because, historically, some of the market's biggest days occur early in bull markets.

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Source Fool.com