OAKS, PA--(Marketwire - Dec 19, 2012) - According to a poll released today by SEI (NASDAQ: SEIC), a large majority of U.S. investment managers (78 percent) are optimistic about their firms' prospects over the next three years. That number was up considerably from last year's poll in which 63 percent of participants indicated optimism. The poll, conducted at SEI's annual CFO/COO Forum for Alternative Investment Managers in New York, found that among the several reasons expressed, a strong brand, followed by positive market prospects, were the main drivers behind this optimism.