The answer to a crucial question emerged in the early days of the year. Everyone was wondering if the market had shifted into bull territory -- then the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) reached a record high, confirming a bull market had indeed arrived. Even better, the index continued to reach new highs and finished the first half of the year with a gain of almost 15%.

As we enter the second half, it's natural to look ahead and consider what the market may do in the coming months. Technology stocks, especially those involved in the high-growth area of artificial intelligence (AI), led the first-half rally as investors rushed to get in on these companies with rising revenue and bright long-term prospects. These stocks may continue to soar -- or they could take a pause if it looks like they're climbing too far too fast. And, due to the weight of these players in the index, this could determine direction in the second half.

So, what will the market do next? It's time to turn to history for some clues.

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Source Fool.com