Inflation worries refuse to go away

A new stock market and economy survey from Sarasota-based Moneyshow.com has some bad news for optimists.

A majority of the survey respondents, 75%, believe there will be an increase in inflation for the rest of the year. And more than half, 56%, expect the national unemployment rate to still be above 9% by the end of 2011.

MoneyShow.com is an investor education and trade show firm. The survey, the MoneyShow.com Investors' Sentiment Indicator, polled more than 800 investors.

On the stock market specifically, the survey found more uncertainty. Nearly half of the respondents, 46%, say they are bullish about the market and believe the S&P 500 will rise between September and the end of year. But 37% are bearish on an S&P 500 increase, according to the survey, while another 18% are neutral.

Not all hope is lost, though. More than 80% of the investors say the housing market will hit bottom, finally, by 2012. A majority of survey respondents, 60%, also say commodities, including gold and silver, will be a strong asset class for the rest of the year.