As investors evaluate and recalibrate to get ready for the stock market in 2024, the question on everyone's mind is: Buy now, or wait? The S&P 500 has been flirting with entering a bull market, but with persistent inflation, the corresponding high interest rates, and the subsequent retail crunch, investors haven't been enthusiastic enough about the potential in the new year to push it through. ^SPX data by YCharts One thing to notice is that despite several falls, notably the 2020 crash, the S&P 500 keeps getting back up and rising again.