Schwab Says Independent Advisers See Market Rebound (Alexis Leondis)

  (Bloomberg) -- Investment advisers are more optimistic about U.S. markets than they were six months ago, according to an online survey by Charles Schwab Corp.

  Fifty-eight percent of independent investment advisers surveyed said they expect the Standard & Poor's 500 index to rise, an increase from 46 percent over the prior poll in January. One-third of advisers who said the S&P will rebound said it will rise more than 10 percent by the end of the year.

  This group of professionals has ``cautious optimism'' and many support the Federal Reserve's recent actions, said Bernard Clark, senior vice president of sales and relationship management for Schwab Institutional, the Schwab unit that supports more than 5,000 independent fee-based advisers. The approval rating among advisers for Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has increased 10 percent points since January to 71 percent.

  More advisers in the latest survey said they foresee a decline in energy prices and fewer said they anticipate the housing market will continue to soften than when surveyed six months ago.

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