The current bull market that began in March 2009 is the strongest bull market recorded by the S&P 500 since the end of World War II (see green line in chart above).

The market has accomplished this achievement despite a litany of negatives,

  •        Fiscal cliff tax increases;
  •        Sequester spending cuts;
  •        High oil prices;
  •        Italian election debacle;
  •        Cyprus bank bailout;
  •        Weakening Chinese economic growth;
  •        Federal Reserve communicating the intention to end quantitative easing (QE);
  •        Downward revisions to earnings growth estimates;
  •        Rising interest rates;
  •        A rise in geopolitical risk from North Korea, Egypt, and Syria; and
  •       Bouts of defensive sector market leadership and weak trading volume.

Sources:
Chart o’ the Day: Strongest Bull Market In 65 Years
What’s Powering the Strongest Bull Market Since WWII?