Bear Market or Bull?

How Does This Bear Compare to Others?

Excerpt:

While there are various opinions about what qualifies as a bear market, one widely used definition is a price decline of 20% or more over at least a two-month period. By that measure, we're not yet there, but getting uncomfortably close.

What's been influencing the move in stocks as of late? The market has been flooded with a wave of bad economic news (weak GDP, weak manufacturing, weak consumer spending, weak job market, etc.) and instability from Europe's ongoing sovereign debt crisis. The U.S. government's own struggle with too much debt is also worrisome.

Comment: Full article has a chart: History of Bear Markets Over the Past 50 Years. My own take: I think there are good values: Like 3M. Still selectively buying and diversifying. Image source