MPPT charge controller shows bulk stage all day, never reaches absorption

Means the controller thinks the battery still needs more current than it's able to deliver — usually one of these:

1. Undersized array for the battery bank — if your panels physically can't supply enough current to satisfy bulk charging, the controller just stays in bulk indefinitely.
2. Wrong battery profile/voltage settings in the controller — especially common after switching lead-acid to lithium and not updating the absorption voltage target.
3. A parasitic load pulling roughly as much as the panels are producing — the controller sees demand that never lets up, so it never transitions stages.
4. Partial shading on part of the array dragging down total output without you noticing at a glance.

What's your panel wattage vs. battery bank size, and did you recently change battery chemistry or controller settings?