What are the origins of bear market and bull market?

Bear market and bull market are often used to compare current financial markets. When the market prosperity improves, it is a bull market. If it continues to fall and the market is bleak, it is a bear market. But how did this metaphor come from?

The origin of bear market and bull market

Bear market and bull market first appeared in the west, and first appeared as financial terms in England in18th century.

There are different opinions about the source of the bear market. The mainstream view is from 16. According to the old proverb Sellthebear's sskinbeforeonehascaughtthebear means not to be blindly optimistic.

In the record of 1709, it is described that because the stock price is expected to fall, the stocks that have not been issued in the future are sold in advance, so that speculators can buy the stocks at a relatively low price. Such speculators are called bearskin wholesalers, from sskinbeforeonehascaughtthebear in Sellthebear. Since then, the bear market has expressed the meaning of becoming more and more pessimistic about the stock price.

Regarding the word bull market, the mainstream view holds that it comes directly from the use of the word bear market. Specifically, the bull market first became a stock in 17 14.

At that time, bear fighting and bullfighting were very common. When fighting bears, people will tie them to economic property and then let other animals attack them to please the audience.

Therefore, the bull market has become the contrast of the bear market, appearing after the bear market as a stock market term.

Because in ancient western civilization, the cow represents strength, wealth and hope, while the bear represents restraint of fanaticism, digestion of oneself and accidental rebirth.