Bear Market: The Trader’s Survival Guide

Is a bear market really as bad as the ‘experts’ and TV talking heads make it sound? 

No doubt, there have been some major shifts in the major indices in 2020. We had a huge sell-off followed by all the indices making new highs. The volatility has been INSANE.

So even though there can be big dips in the market, is it the worst thing in the world?

Nah, bear markets can actually be healthy for the overall market. And the market usually recovers over time, just like it has in the past. So strap in and get ready to cozy up … to bear markets.

Because self-sufficient traders learn to trade through any kind of market.

Read on to learn bull and bear market definitions, strategies for trading in a bear market, and mistakes to avoid. Let’s get to it!

What’s a Bear Market?

The term bear market describes a downward trend in the market. Typically, a 20% decline from recent highs is considered a bear market.

A bull market is the opposite of a bear market. A 20% increase in the market off recent lows is referred to as a bull market.

A Brief History of Bear Markets

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There have been a few bear markets in the history of Wall Street. Of course, we all know the Great Depression and the stock market crash of 1929. Then there’s the great recession of 2008, and most recently, the coronavirus market crash.

But those are just some of the larger ones. There have been smaller bear markets. A sector or certain stock can even be considered bearish.

Is a Bear Market Good or Bad: What You Should Know

Overall, I think a bear market is a good thing for the market.

It might seem like it’s bad when stocks drop and people lose money or retirement savings. But there’s ebb and flow to the market. Markets don’t go straight up or straight down.

And usually, a bear market leads to another bull market. Lower prices bring in more buyers, which can create a bounce to the upside and the start of a new bull market.

I’ve been trading for 20+ years and have seen all kinds of markets. And I’ve learned to trade through it all. You can learn too. Get into my 30-Day Bootcamp to start building your market knowledge today.

Bear Market vs. Bull Market: What’s the Difference

In a bear market, stocks decline. Investors and traders have a negative outlook on the market or economy. Investors start selling, which drives down demand and prices.

On the other hand, investor sentiment is positive in a bull market. Employment also tends to be high, and there’s a lot of business and technology growth. Prices increase, and everyone wants in on the action.

It looks like there is no end to the highs of the market. This mentality drives prices higher.

What Are the Typical Bear Market Stages?

There are stages that are common in most bear markets. Let’s check ‘em out…

Euphoria

This stage is usually just before and at the beginning of a bear market. Stocks and the market are at all-time highs. It looks like there’s no end in sight. The economy is stable and everything seems OK … But then there’s…

Profit Taking

Investors with positions since the onset of the bull market trend start to take profits. They may feel there’s a correction or downturn due.

Or there could be a catalyst that starts the bear market. Think bad news about jobs reports or the economy — or a global event like the coronavirus pandemic. The slight downturn triggers more selling which leads to…

Capitulation

Capitulation is a fancy word for panic selling. As stocks go lower from investors taking profits or bad news, panic selling starts. Latecomers to the initial uptrend may sell to break even or for a small loss.

The situation is compounded as more stocks fall and more people panic. Until it reaches maximum panic when even the most patient investors jump ship. That brings us to…

The Bounce

New traders and market speculators start to take positions, believing the worst is over and the market’s due for a bounce. It’s where investors think they can buy at bargain prices.

The economy may be doing better and good news starts to come out. Investors start to think positively, and combined with lower stock prices, that means buying increases. And that leads to the next bull market.

It’s all a cycle. But it’s not an exact science. The market is based on investor psychology and the overall sentiment about the market and the economy.

Each bull and bear market will look a little different. They all have different percent losses and take different amounts of time to recover.

What’s a Bear Market Rally?

A bear market rally is a bounce after a big decline in the market. People think the worst is over and start to get back in positions. Once a bounce starts, it often creates a domino effect of buyers getting in and shorts covering their positions.

Every Monday brings a new sense of joy & excitement for traders as they can’t wait to feel the rush/adrenaline of trading once again, but I post this premarket to warn you NOT to gamble as that rush is dangerous & you must recognize that all gunslingers lose EVERYTHING over time!

— Timothy Sykes (@timothysykes) August 31, 2020

How Long Does a Bear Market Rally Last?

Bear market rallies can last for a while. They can trick people into thinking the worst is over and that we’re back to a bull market. But they can then give way to even longer-term downtrends.

Bear market rallies can last weeks, months, or even years. The average bear market rally lasts about two years.

Like the stock market crash of 1929. The crash happened quickly, followed by a few weeks of uptrending. Then there were the continued lows and the Great Depression, which lasted for years.

Will this happen again? Nobody knows for sure. But I think it’s worth studying the past. Want to trade smarter in any kind of market? Know what’s possible. Apply for my Trading Challenge for access to webinars, every video lesson I’ve ever made, and more.

All my top students come from my Trading Challenge. And they’ve all studied their butts off to prepare to trade through anything.

Bear Market: Real-Life Example

Let’s look at the recent example of the coronavirus bear market.

The economy was pretty much shut down. Businesses were closed. People weren’t working. It created a negative attitude around the market, businesses, and the overall economy.

That made people nervous. And that’s what makes them start selling their positions, taking profits while they have them. Then you have short-sellers adding selling pressure to stocks and the overall markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 entered bear market territory on March 12, once they lost 20% from recent highs. The drop ended the longest bull market in U.S. history.

Since the March lows, the markets almost recovered those losses. But is it a full recovery or a bear market rally?

Nobody knows for sure. But the economic shutdown and people’s fear might have longer-term consequences on the economy.

Can You Make Money During a Bear Market?

Yes, you can make money during bear markets. This year has been my best trading year ever. And a lot of my top students are having their best year.*

(*Please note that these kinds of trading results are not typical. Most traders lose money. It takes years of dedication, hard work, and discipline to learn how to trade, and individual results will vary. Trading is inherently risky. Before making any trades, remember to do your due diligence and never risk more than you can afford to lose.)

When preparation and opportunity come together, my students and I are ready to take advantage.

I now have five millionaire students and multiple six-figure students.* It’s not a fluke or luck. We’ve studied the strategies that work for us. We stick to our setups and rules and take small gains that add up over time.

You need to know which stocks to trade during a bear market.

In penny stocks, you have the potential to find opportunity in any kind of market. They don’t always follow the market like other large-cap stocks.

Let’s get into some strategies you can trade during a bear market…

Top Strategies to Trade During a Bear Market

Below are some strategies you can use during a bear market to minimize risk.

Short Selling

If you want to trade large-cap stocks, you’ll likely want to trade in the direction of the market. Three out of four stocks follow the major indices. So if the overall market is crashing, short selling is how you could potentially profit as stocks go down. (But not if you’re a new trader. It’s a risky strategy.)

When flights were canceled and theme parks shut down, some shorts jumped on airline stocks, companies like Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), and Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS).

Even stocks like Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) and Lyft, Inc. (NASDAQ: LYFT) went down. Nobody was going to work or anywhere else — why would they need to rideshare?

Stick to Hot Sectors

I don’t trade large-cap stocks. I trade penny stocks and I prefer to go long. My top students and I didn’t have a record year because we were buying shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) or Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA). We made our money trading penny stocks in hot sectors.

Not all bear markets and crashes will have hot sectors. But if there’s a catalyst for the crash, there might be another side to the negativity that you can learn to take advantage of.

With the coronavirus, the hot sectors were vaccine plays, mask makers, and even hand sanitizer companies. Home-delivery plays and anything related to home school or work-from-home platforms also had some good opportunities.

This is the kind of hype we like to trade.

Two Major Mistakes to Avoid When Trading in a Bear Market

#1: Don’t Try to Guess the Bottom

When the market’s falling, you can’t just jump in every time there’s a little bounce. Don’t get cocky and think you found the bottom.

The market’s gonna do what it’s gonna do. I don’t blindly jump into trades hoping they’ll work out. I use trading patterns, trends, and knowledge from over 20 years in the market.

To help new traders in this volatile market I created my FREE “Volatility Survival Guide.” Check it out. If you’re new to trading, you’ve probably never seen a volatile market like the one we’ve seen in 2020. I’ve never seen a market quite like the one we’ve seen this year.

#2: Don’t Fight the Market

You hear me say this over and over. Don’t try to fight the market or a stock. The market doesn’t care what you want or where you want a stock to go. It doesn’t care about your position.

The market is driven by much larger investors than you and me. You have to go with it. You make your thesis and act on it. But if you’re wrong, you must cut losses quickly and get the heck out.

Are We in a Bear Market Right Now?

The market’s been all over the board in 2020. I think it’s safe to say the coronavirus will have a long-lasting effect on the economy.

I say you should shift your mentality away from what the market’s doing. It can be a dangerous way to approach the market.

You have to be ready for anything that can happen.

I’ve been waiting for a bear market or correction for a few years now. I thought it would give me a break, some time to slow down. But I’ve been busier than ever since the coronavirus crash.

The pandemic created a catalyst for companies in the right sectors. It also brought down other companies and made them more affordable to everyday retail investors and traders.

Lots of new traders wanted to get into the market while it was low.

But when stocks aren’t low anymore, who’s gonna buy them? As stocks, and the market in general, become too expensive, it leaves out a lot of investors and traders. That eventually leads to fewer buyers. And the cycle continues…

Frequently Asked Questions About Bear Market

Conclusion: Should You Trade During a Bear Market?

The short answer: yes. You can trade in a bear market. But you’ll have to adapt to the change in market conditions and follow the rules.

I teach students my trading rules in my Trading Challenge. My Trading Challenge is where my millionaire students found their trading stride.* 

That’s because they got access to the most resources, like weekly live trading and Q&A webinars with me and my top students.  They also get all my video lessons, DVDs, and access to my Trading Challenge chat room.

Once you learn how the market and patterns work, you can learn to take advantage of it. That’s how you can create the future you want for yourself — freedom from a 9-to-5 job and the ability to work from anywhere.

How do you trade through bear markets? Are you prepared to adapt no matter what the market throws at you? Let me know in the comments … I love to hear from you!