The stock market has been on many people's minds these last couple of years as we try to work through the volatility of the Bull and Bear market, but where did the Bull and Bear get their names?

"Bear" and "Bull" are often used to describe an individual asset or the stock market's general actions, attitudes, or sentiments. Likewise, investors use the terms "Bearish" or "Bullish" as a quick way to describe their market sentiment regarding financial markets or specific securities.

A Bear market refers to a decline in prices, usually for a few months, in a single security or asset, group of securities, or the securities market as a whole. In contrast, a Bull market is when prices are rising. Typically, a 20% or more move from a recent peak or trough triggers an "official" Bear or Bull market.

The terms "Bear" and "Bull" derive from how each animal attacks its opponents. A bull will thrust its horns into the air, while a bear will swipe downward. These actions were then related metaphorically to the movement of a market. If the trend was up, it was considered a Bull market. If the direction was down, it was a Bear market.

Historically, the distributors of bearskins would sell skins they had yet to receive. They would speculate on the future purchase price of these skins from the trappers, hoping prices would drop. The trappers would profit from a spread—the difference between the cost and selling prices. These middlemen became known as "bears," short for bearskin jobbers, and the term stuck for describing a downturn in the market. Conversely, because bears and bulls were widely considered opposites due to the once-popular sport of bull-and-bear fights, the term bull stands for the opposite of bears.

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