Bears and Bulls

[petrushka.googol]

In financial jargon bears and bulls are used to signify the down-trend and up-trend of the stock indices.

 

Does this have a basis in reality?

 

Is this tied to the metabolic (anabolic / catabolic) differences that exist among species?

 

Please advise.

[Ophiolite]

From Investopedia comes this explanation:

 

The use of "bull" and "bear" to describe markets comes from the way the animals attack their opponents. A bull thrusts its horns up into the air while a bear swipes its paws down. These actions are metaphors for the movement of a market. If the trend is up, it is a 'bull' market. If the trend is down it is a 'bear' market.

 

This should probably have been posted in a different section. It is not really science.

[Phi for All]

I've always heard that bull markets are up and spirited like that animal, where bears are more sluggish and slower moving. I've also heard that on the attack, bulls try to gore with their horns in an upward thrust, where bears attack downwards with their claws.

 

I think those are just mnemonics to help one remember which is which. Certainly bears and bulls can both be spirited or sluggish, and attack with a sideways sweep of their natural weapons.

 

edit: crossposted with Ophiolite.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Phi for All