Chart of the Day: Longest U.S. Bull Market?

On Wednesday, the U.S. bull market turned 3,453 days old — or nearly nine and a half years old — marking perhaps the longest such run in American history, some analysts said.

The benchmark S&P 500 index has climbed more than 300% since a dip in March 2009. On Wednesday, it closed down 0.04% at 2,861.82.

But some analysts disagree that it’s America’s longest bull market. This latest bull run may have actually ended on Jan. 26, when the S&P 500 closed at 2872.87. On Tuesday, the intraday high beat that number, hitting 2,873.23, but the index closed the day lower, at 2,862.96. Some analysts insist that the close — not the intraday high — be used to measure bull market runs.

Furthermore, a previous bull run that ended in 2000 lasted for 13 years — if one takes 1987 instead of 1990 as the starting year.

Contact reporter Lin Jinbing (jinbinglin@caixin.com)