Bear market
Finance
A market in which prices are generally falling.
Personal Finance
A bear market is sometimes described as a period of falling securities prices and sometimes, more specifically, as a market where prices have fallen 20% or more from the most recent high.
A bear market in stocks is triggered when investors sell off shares, generally because they anticipate worsening economic conditions and falling corporate profits.
A bear market in bonds is usually the result of rising interest rates, which prompts investors to sell off older bonds paying lower rates.