Investors Are Increasingly Optimistic About Market Recovery

40% of institutional investors think the market bottom is behind us

NEW YORK, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent survey of 127 institutional
investors, TheMarkets.com found that nearly 40% of those surveyed think that
the market has already rebounded, hitting its bottom earlier this year. This
number signals a swing in optimism from a similar survey in March, in which
17% of respondents indicated they expected the bottom before the end of the
first half of the year. Of those respondents who think the bottom is yet to
come, 91% expect it within the next twelve months. The survey, reaching
investors in 24 countries, was conducted by TheMarkets.com, a leading provider
of research, estimates and workflow solutions to institutional investors
worldwide.

With over 80% of investors anticipating that the S&P 500 will return to 1200
by the end of 2011, the results of the survey also indicate that investors now
expect a faster market recovery to pre-recession levels than they did in
March, when just over 50% reported the same expectation. Additionally, nearly
80% of investors now expect the S&P 500 to return to 1500 by the end of 2013,
versus under 60% in March; nearly a quarter expect it to return to 1500 by the
end of 2011, versus 12% in March.

"Similar to what we saw in March, we found that portfolio managers continue to
be more optimistic than analysts, with fully 50% of portfolio managers
positing that we've already hit the bottom, versus 30% of analysts," said
David Eisner, CEO and President of TheMarkets.com. "We also continue to see a
slightly more optimistic outlook outside the U.S., although we're seeing less
of a disparity there than we did in March."

Surveyed investors expect that key sectors of focus over the next 12 months
will be energy, financials, healthcare and basic materials. "Over the past
months, we have seen investor focus heavily reflect activities in Washington,
D.C.. In addition, the near doubling of investor interest in basic materials
since March might suggest new concerns about inflation," said Eisner.

About TheMarkets.com
TheMarkets.com is a leading provider of research, estimates, and workflow
solutions to over 2400 institutional investment management firms worldwide.

CONTACT: Jasmine Swann, +1-212-812-4631, jswann@themarkets.com

SOURCE TheMarkets.com

Jasmine Swann, +1-212-812-4631, jswann@themarkets.com