Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services says it expects to see continued gradual improvement in the creditworthiness of U.S. securities broker-dealers.

In a report released today, the rating agency says that this improvement will be accompanied by expected stable earnings performance due to a growing economy, particularly as it affects the financing needs of corporations and governments.

The forecast is also based on securities markets that at least move sideways and do not have meaningful downward movements, it notes.

“Our outlook does not rule out a potentially weaker environment, but we believe the most likely scenario is for continued earnings growth, maintenance of capital adequacy, and strong liquidity positions,” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Tom Foley.