LIVE MARKETS-Bulls charge ahead - AAII

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BULLS CHARGE AHEAD - AAII

Optimism among individual investors about the short-term outlook for the U.S. stock market surged in the latest American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey. With this, both pessimism and neutral sentiment decreased.

Meanwhile, nearly half of investors surveyed said that they think other investors are "too bullish."

AAII reported that bullish sentiment, or expectations that stock prices will rise over the next six months, charged ahead by 14.3 percentage points to 46.0% (highest reading since 49.5% on January 15). Bullish sentiment is above its historical average of 37.5% for the first time in 10 weeks.

Bearish sentiment, or expectations that stock prices will fall over the next six months, tumbled 8.4 percentage points to 34.4%. Bearish sentiment is above its historical average of 31.0% for the 11th consecutive week.

Neutral sentiment, or expectations that stock prices will stay essentially unchanged over the next six months, lost 5.9 percentage points to 19.5%. Neutral sentiment is "unusually low" and is below its historical average of 31.5% for the 92nd time in 94 weeks.

The bull-bear spread surged 22.7 percentage points to 11.6% from –11.1% last week. The bull-bear spread is above its historical average of 6.5% for the first time in 11 weeks.

In this week's special question, AAII asked its members if they think other investors are too bullish or too bearish right now.

Here is AAII's graphic showing how they responded.

(Terence Gabriel)

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