Nearly three out of four long-term investors did not change their investing style during the second half of 2001, according to a report from ShareBuilder Securities Corp, an online investment service based in Bellvue, Wash.

The March 2002 report also found that long-term investors were less likely than other investors to become more conservative in their investing approach during that same time period. The survey revealed that 19% of long-term investors say they became more conservative, compared with more than a quarter of all other investors (29%).

Also, more long-term investors actually increased their investments in stocks last year compared with other investors (18% vs. 11%).

The survey defines long-term investors as those individuals who reject the belief that successful investing requires timing the market.

The survey also revealed that long-term investors are much more optimistic than other investors about the future of the stock market. More than half of long-term investors believe that the stock market will improve over the next six months (56%), compared with just 39% of other investors.

“We at ShareBuilder see a strong need to gauge the perceptions and behavioral trends of long-term investors who make up the fastest-growing segment of investors,” said Jeff Seely, president and CEO of ShareBuilder. “We were bolstered to learn that even in this highly challenging economic climate, long-term investors have been disciplined in their investment approach and are optimistic about market performance and the power of creating wealth over time.”

The ShareBuilder Report is a national U.S. survey on the attitudes and behaviors of investors conducted semi-annually by Taylor Nelson Sofres for ShareBuilder, the eigth largest online brokerage in the U.S.

The survey was conducted online, covering 1,303 people during the period of January 28 – February 1. For a sample size of 1,303 adults, there is an average sampling accuracy of +/- 2.7% at the 95% confidence level.