This would ignore the defined value for bear market, just like a bull market its the regular set of gains.    There is no regular decline in pricing for sometime now, it might be sedate and some suppose even dead from no movement but thats not a regular decline in price.  We rally, we pull back and circle and twist and in effect just go sideways.  Much frustration but no regular pattern resulting downwards, I would actually argue there is some pattern upwards but you have to zoom out to over 9 months for that and perhaps too far.  We can be fairly certain no established reliable trend down is established, we have the lack of pattern if anything.