Market strategists and analysts continue to affirm that the U.S. stock market remains in a bull market phase, despite recent pullbacks. Keith Lerner, chief market strategist at Truist Advisory Services, describes these pullbacks as a normal cost of doing business within an ongoing bull market. Lerner points out that recent market corrections, including a 4% drop over 35 days, are part of a broader trend where the S&P 500 has seen 30 drops of at least 5% since its low in March 2009, yet still achieved a total return of 1087% over that period. He suggests that the current pullback, with the U.S. Treasury bond price sitting 4.3% below its peak from early December, is likely halfway through its course. Additionally, Lerner notes that the rise in the 10-year Treasury yield, driven by better-than-expected economic data, is a factor in the market's recent performance but does not signal the end of the bull market.