Stock Market Meltdown: What Is A Correction -- And Does It Really Matter? History Shows US Markets Are Entering A Months-long Cooling Phase

With all three U.S. stock market indices down on Monday by an average of more than 12 percent from their peaks earlier this year, investors are uncertain about what direction the economic winds are blowing. But behind the blizzard of red numbers is a fundamental truth of global stocks: After a six-year bull market, which has lined investors' pockets with nice returns and fat dividends, the recent global sell-off isn't an economic Armageddon. It's simply what everyone knew was coming.