Traders say aging bull still has legs to run

NEW YORK — Is the Wall Street bull winded? No way, say traders surveyed by Charles Schwab.

The bull market that kicked into high gear in 2013 with a 30% gain, has paused a bit this year.

Heading into today's session, the market was virtually unchanged for the year. In Friday trading, the Standard & Poor's 500 was up about 1%.

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So how much longer will the bull, which turned 5 earlier this month, live?

Findings from Charles Schwab's Trading Services Sentiment Survey from March found the following:

• 28% say the bull will continue for another three to six months.

• 25% say it will last through the end of the year.

• 42% say it will end at some point in 2015.

• 5% say the bull is already over.

The projection for a sustained bull market comes despite the fact that nearly 20% of traders say they have a bearish outlook for the next three to six months, up from 10% in December.

"Over the longer-term, traders surveyed are overwhelmingly optimistic that the bull will continue," says Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at the Schwab Center for Financial Research.

The survey was conducted March 19 at Schwab's virtual trading event.