How long will the bull market last? Signals to watch

Core Insights - The current bull market, which began three years ago, is showing strong momentum, with the third year historically being the strongest in previous bull markets since 1957 [1][2] - The S&P 500 has returned over 85% during this bull market, which is below the average return of prior bull markets, suggesting there is still potential for growth [2] - Key sectors contributing to the market's performance include technology, communication services, and consumer discretionary, with significant gains over the past three years [3][5] Sector Performance - The technology sector (XLK) has led with a 139.5% increase over the last three years, followed by communication services and industrials, each showing strong performance [3][4] - In the past year, communication services led with a 26.8% increase, while defensive sectors showed some declines, indicating a bullish market sentiment [5] - Notable stocks include Nvidia, which has seen a 40% increase over the last year and an impressive 1523% over three years, and Palantir, which has surged 2150% recently [6][7] Investment Trends - Sentiment ETFs and cryptocurrency investments have shown significant growth, with Bitcoin proxies up over 800% in the last three years [8] - The upcoming earnings reports from major tech companies will be crucial, especially for AI leaders, as any misses could impact market sentiment [11] - Sector rotation is essential for sustaining the bull market, with a need for investors to diversify beyond technology [12] Market Indicators - Gold ETF flows have reached levels similar to those in 2020, which preceded a downturn in gold prices, indicating potential risks in the gold market [13] - Bitcoin's price movements are closely watched, with a dip below $120,000 signaling potential risk sentiment changes [14] - The resurgence of meme stocks and the relaunch of a meme ETF could indicate speculative behavior in the market, reminiscent of trends seen in 2021 [15]