what's wrong with this statement?

"Optimistic about the growth" suggests the present growth; whereas "...growth prospects" makes it clear the analyst is discussing the future.

So there is nothing particularly wrong with it.

so it is more of a disclaimer...being as vague as u can be by reinstating the obvious whilst using subtle cues to entice investors into another dud investment. being optimistic is one thing, whether investments would actually grow is another. and it is not actual growth but 'growth prospects'. nobody can predict the future but statements like these tend to be misleading.

I agree that there is nothing particularly wrong with it, but I don't think it's possible to be optimistic about something present, it is inherently about the future. The closest you can get to the present is that you might be optimistic that a positive present trend will continue, and of course it would often be the case that the positive present trend is what makes you optimistic about its future.

So "optimistic about growth prospects" is correct, and "optimistic about growth" is technically incorrect and makes no sense except if you treat it as being an abbreviation of the former.

"Ronald Raygun" wrote

I think it *can* be about the present/past...

Something might be happening (or even have already happened), but you don't know yet what it was. In the time before you get to hear about what actually happened, you can be optimistic about it!

Sort of like Schroedinger growth? Fair enough, but in that case, the past/present about which you're optimistic is still in *your* future.

"Ronald Raygun" wrote

:-))) [Cheshire Cat!]

"Ronald Raygun" wrote

Isn't that what the quote in the OP was about? ;-)