The Stock Market Is Doing Something Observed Only 4 Times Since 1997 -- and the Previous 3 Instances Ended in Disaster for Wall Street

Outstanding margin debt has surged 77% to an all-time high of $1.502 trillion between April 2025 and June 2026. Historically, the three previous instances of such rapid margin debt increases (1999-2000, 2006-2007, 2020-2021) preceded major market crashes. However, the article notes that while corrections are inevitable, bull markets historically last 3.6 times longer than bear markets, suggesting long-term investors should view downturns as opportunities.