(March 28) – “Online stock trading is out of vogue, but maybe Internet-brokerage firms shouldn’t take it personally,” writes Stacy Forster in today’s Wall Street Journal.

“The number of people who made even one online trade in the six-month period ended in February has fallen off sharply, according to a study released Tuesday by J.D. Power and Associates, a consumer-rating firm based in Agoura Hills, Calif.”

“But customers are generally satisfied with the service from their online brokers, and some plan to return once the market improves, according to the study, conducted in January and February from a random sample of 8,000 online investors nationwide.”

” ‘Due to market conditions of late, investors have certainly stopped trading online, but it doesn’t mean they won’t rejoin when market conditions improve,’ said Nancy Salk, director of investment services for J.D. Power.”

“In the last six months, 3.7 million households conducted at least one online trade, down 18% from 4.5 million for the six months ended in August, according to J.D. Power.”

“But even though 58% of online traders said they plan no change in their investment activity, 30% expect to increase trading in the next six months, and only 12% plan to scale back, the investor-satisfaction study showed.”

” ‘Now that stock prices are at the lower end of the scale, there are a lot of investors who feel that the market is going to pick up sometime soon,’ Ms. Salk said in analyzing the survey.”

“The results would seem to offer a glimmer of hope for online brokerage firms. The sector has been hammered by a sharp decline in trading activity since last fall, with layoffs at some firms and tumbling shares industry-wide.”