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

Not a good day for me yesterday - held gold long too long.

How much further could it drop

What is best site to observe commentary on gold traders ?

I don't trade commodities myself, but the two sites I have looked at and I keep for research are :

http://www.fastmarkets.com/thebulliondesk

http://www.goldbarsworldwide.com/

Both of them have a 'links' page which may be more useful than the website itself.

looks to me that dow could be in for a pasting today with 14,000 looking to fail once more as the bickering buffoons (aka posturing politicos) square up once more over the budget

FTSE support @6,306 being tested.

CAD GDP m/m -0.2% consensus -0.2% previous 0.3%

USD Core PCE Price Index m/m 0.1% consensus 0.1% previous 0.0%

USD Personal Spending m/m 0.2% consensus 0.2% previous 0.2%

USD Personal Income m/m -3.6% consensus -2.3% previous 2.6%

FX CHAT: US consumers lift spending amid income volatility

The monthly changes may look wild, but that's because of tax planning. Today's consumer report doesn't change outlook for steady but lackluster consumer spending in first half. Personal income plunges 3.6% in January, but that follows a 2.6% jump in December as dividends and bonuses were paid out early before higher tax rates kicked in. Consumers ignored the swing and lifted spending by 0.2%, a bit better than 0.1% gain in December.

USD Final Manufacturing PMI 54.3 consensus 55.2 previous 55.2

.
Wrong thread.

USD Revised UoM Consumer Sentiment 77.6 consensus 76.3 previous 76.3

USD Revised UoM Inflation Expectations 3.3% previous 3.3%

USD ISM Manufacturing PMI 54.2 consensus 52.7 previous 53.1

USD Construction Spending m/m -2.1% consensus 0.6% previous 0.9%

USD ISM Manufacturing Prices 61.5 consensus 57.3 previous 56.5

FTSE is bouncing around today!
Took my short off the table this morning faaaar toooooo soon but +18 points is better than nothing. Will have to wait and see how things pan out now for the next entry point.
TT

Amazingly the support as of this morning was 6,306.86 - low so far is 6,308.56 and no I didn't!

FTSE 6388 lets go short...

I've got a limit @6,398.

FTSE 15 Minute Chart

Think it'll close below 6360

Well that looks compelling!

Thought Non-farm Payrolls were out today, have I missed something?

Apparently! :-)

UPDATE: U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index Hits 20-Month High

--ISM PMI unexpectedly rises to 54.2 in February from 53.1 in January --New order index rises to highest since April 2011 --Price pressures rise but not yet a concern, says ISM By Kathleen Madigan The U.S. manufacturing sector expanded a bit faster last month but cost pressures intensified, according to data released Friday by the Institute for Supply Management. The ISM's manufacturing purchasing managers' index increased to 54.2 in February from 53.1 in January. A reading above 50 indicates expanding activity. The index is at its highest since June 2011. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected the February PMI to fall to 52.5. "Everything looks positive," said Bradley Holcomb who oversees the ISM survey. He pointed to broad-based gains in demand and no signs of overheating. The ISM report is one of the more positive reads on U.S. factory activity out so far. The February survey suggests "the manufacturing sector is regaining momentum lost over the second half of 2012 due to concerns over the fiscal cliff," said economists at Jefferies. Mr. Holcomb said respondents were not focused much on the sequestration spending cuts set to kick in Friday. Some respondents in computer and electronics commented on slower defense spending. Earlier Friday, data provider Markit said its U.S. PMI showed a slowing factory sector, but even there the news was not all bad. The Markit PMI fell to 54.3 from 55.8 in January, but the output index was the highest since March 2012. Factory surveys already released by regional Federal Reserve banks gave a mixed reading on February factory activity. Some Fed banks reported stronger growth but others said their manufacturers were pulling back in February. The ISM survey, on the other hand, was generally stronger. Demand strengthened last month. The new orders index increased to 57.8 from 53.3. The exports index jumped to 53.5 from 50.5. The new orders index is the highest since April 2011. The production index improved to 57.6 in February from 53.6 in January. The employment index slowed to 52.6 from 54.0. The ISM report said an employment index above 50.5, over time, is "generally consistent with an increase" in factory employment measured by the U.S. Labor Department. The inventory index edged up to 51.5 from 51.0. Businesses didn't add much to their inventory levels in the fourth quarter, according to Commerce Department data. The ISM readings suggest faster stocking in the first quarter, which is a plus for economic growth. The prices paid index jumped to 61.5 in February from 56.5 in January. Mr. Holcomb said a rise in the price index wasn't unusual at the start of the year, when many businesses mark up their price list. Only one commodity, steel bars, was reported to be in short supply. "I'm not concerned at this point," he said.