WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- After a difficult March, small-business sentiment improved in April, a trade group said Tuesday. The National Federation of Independent Business said its small-business optimism index rose 1.7 points to 96.9. It's nonetheless the second-worst reading since October. "Optimism may have seen a slight jump from last month's weak numbers, but there was not an especially large gain in any area except for an improvement in profit trends," said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg in a statement.