In the stock market, the animal associated with thinking share prices are going to fall is a bear. This is because a bear attacks by swiping its paws downward, reflecting the downward trend in the market. A bear market refers to a market condition where there is a prolonged period of declining prices in the stock market, causing investors to sell their stocks in fear of further losses. Bearish investors are generally pessimistic about the market and believe that the prices of stocks will fall in the near future.