Why the Outlook for U.S. Stocks Could be Much Better Than You Think

Could the U.S. bull market actually be for real? That's the question investors have been asking since U.S. stocks essentially bounced off of their March 2009 post-crash lows - only to be launched into one of the strongest rallies in U.S. market history. More than a year later, U.S. investors still don't know what to believe - or what to expect, says Jon D. Markman, a market commentator and best-selling author who is also a Money Morning contributing writer. The most recent sentiment poll by the American Association of Individual Investors, or AAII, showed that only 41% of investors are bullish. Cash flows at mutual funds that invest in U.S. stocks are telling a similar story, with a $5.1 billion monthly outflow, Markman says the most recent data shows.