New York (CNN Business) US stocks are closing in on all-time highs. And stock market bulls don't expect to be disappointed anytime soon.

The first quarter was phenomenal for markets, which have been trending higher on optimism about the Fed's dovish turn and a potential trade deal between Washington and Beijing.

The end result? Fallout from last year's late, chaotic selloff has been almost entirely erased. The S&P 500 finished Thursday just 1.75% away from its all-time high, while the Dow has only 1.65% to go. They could cross those milestones within a matter of days.

It's the first time since 2013 that the S&P 500 was higher in each of the first three months of the year, according to Ryan Detrick, senior market strategist at LPL Financial. That could mean good news for the rest of the year, he wrote in a note Wednesday.

"This won't be an easy ride, and we fully expect some volatility, but this is definitely a bullet point for the bulls in 2019," he said.

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