This chart may make you less worried about U.S. stocks

By Victor Reklaitis, MarketWatch

Recent bearish calls might make you worried about the U.S. stock market, which is more than five years into its bull run that began in March 2009.

But a chart created by Morningstar Inc., the Chicago-based investment research firm, shows bull markets often have lasted for more than five years.

The chart, which illustrates the S&P 500’s performance through many U.S. recessions and expansions, has been getting attention on Twitter this month. Here it is:

The bull market that ended with the financial crisis lasted 61 months, according to Morningstar’s chart, but the two prior runs were 153 months and 155 months long. In other words, stocks were in an uptrend for more than 12 years.

The chart also shows that bear markets are relatively quick, with the last two lasting 16 months and 25 months, respectively.

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