A majority of active investors say they can match or beat the market this year, according to a poll of Fidelity customers who attended the Fidelity Traders Summit in Seattle on Aug. 27.
The poll found 77% believe the S&P 500 index will remain stable or increase 100 points or more. Seventy-three percent expect a personal return of at least 6%.
About 1,200 attendees responded to each poll question, and the majority said they trade at least 36 times each year.
Eighty-three percent of respondents said they felt they could match or beat the S&P 500 over the next year. Looking back at the past year, though, just 48% of active investors said they matched or beat the index.
"It's great to see investors have faith in the markets and plan more equity participation, but to give themselves a better chance of beating the anticipated market growth, they should take full advantage of their brokerage firm's education and tools, as well as consider consulting with a financial professional," Ram Subramaniam, president of Fidelity's retail brokerage business, said in a statement.
Active investors overwhelmingly favored equities. More than 70% of respondents said that's where they were putting their dollars. Twelve percent of respondents said they were investing in cash and 7% were investing in real estate.
