rather than pick out individual stocks to trade, it can often be worthwhile to trade the indices themselves, especially in times of high volatility.

for those so inclined, i attach below charts for FTSE and FTSE 250, though one might equally be tempted to trade Dow or S&P, which is significantly broader in its coverage, or even NASDAQ

for ease of reading, i have attached 1 year and 3 month charts in each instance

Stan - there is quite a daily divergence.

By Eric Morath U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said his agency is on a path to need a $45 billion taxpayer bailout within five years if Congress fails to take action to reverse growing financial losses for the Postal Service. The Postal Service recorded a nearly $16 billion loss during its last fiscal year. Mr. Donahoe said Wednesday the shortfall is likely to grow worse without the ability to make significant cost cuts, including ending Saturday delivery and placing postal workers on a private health-care plan. "Time is not on our side," he said during testimony to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. "To preserve our mission to provide secure, reliable and affordable, universal delivery service--and do so without burdening the American taxpayer --the Postal Service needs urgent reform to its business model." A majority of last year's loss was tied to defaults on required prepayments for future retirees' health care. On Wednesday, Mr. Donahoe said even if those payments weren't required, it will soon record operating deficits of between $10 billion and $15 billion annually. Last week, the postmaster said the agency would end Saturday delivery of mail but not packages, despite previous mandates from Congress to deliver six days a week. That action drew an angry reaction at the hearing. Sen. Jon Tester (D., Mont.) said the move could mean residents in rural Montana must wait five or six days to receive excepted mail. He said the change disproportionately hurts remote communities. "If we're going to have a Postal Service that works for urban America, it damn well better work for rural America," he said at the hearing.

Thanks skinny I don't usually notice such things but did today for no apparent reason.

Dividend always hit your account on a Tuesday if you are long and taken away from you when yu are short on FTSE. Also if you are long on a particular share - you will receive the dividend on the day they go ex dividend - not the dividend pay date - and vice versa if you are short.

Hope that helps

Yes - thanks BHunt

...... FTSE

I'm short from 6384. Pop !!

I'm going to stay out of the FTSE for now and let it do its own thing, as per Skinny's lovely cartoon - and maybe look for an opportunity to go long on a Tuesday!

7 am.

German Prelim GDP q/q -0.6% consensus -0.5% previous 0.2%

7.45am

French Prelim Non-Farm Payrolls q/q -0.2% consensus -0.2% previous -0.3%

happy valentine's Mistress! :-))

amazing! .... HG+HC and C+M indices still roaring

Dominic Picarda of IC again this morning:
"Once again, the DAX and FTSE confounded the bears yesterday, advancing strongly. The FTSE’s progress was entirely expected from where I was standing. But I am not surprised to see the DAX joining in, as I had been arguing that it would play catch-up sooner or later.

Nevertheless, scepticism abounds over the outlook for both indices. IG Index clients are 71% short of the DAX this morning, and 88% short of the FTSE. I just can’t understand the case for this, going by the state of the daily and intraday charts, both of which point to yet more gains. I am therefore looking for longs in these indices, as well as in EURGBP. I still seek GBPUSD shorts, which dropped yesterday in line with my call."

Italian Prelim GDP q/q -0.9% consensus -0.5% previous -0.2%

NMX3720 has been largely helped by RB. over the last few days.

EUR Flash GDP q/q -0.6% consensus -0.4% previous -0.1%

Thanx Cynic :)

NMX3720 now 100 off its earlier high - again mainly due to RB which is 63 off its earlier high.

Nearly recovered yesterdays losses on the FTSE, have S&P shorts in play also..

like i said previously, both of these indices are scarily volatile ...... meanwhile my Dow short from last night is now doing what it was meant to do :-)

USD Unemployment Claims 341K consensus 361K previous 366K