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

Toya - its here.

once everyone starts shouting BUY!!! (or SELL!!!), then start looking to jump the other way :-)


skinny - do you know how to post personal pix here? ..... Mistress did it once for me on one our trips, but she's now very very old and has forgotten how!

FTSE 5 minute since 10.

cynic its very straight forward - are they on your pc?

USD Core Retail Sales m/m -0.4% -0.1% 1.0%

USD PPI m/m -0.6% -0.2% 0.7%

USD Retail Sales m/m -0.4% 0.0% 1.1%

USD Core PPI m/m 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%

Thanks for the link, Skinny!

Just reading on MarketWatch how 'Europe stocks extend slide after US retail sales'

Quelle surprise! Cyprus mulls early EU structural funds - officials

DUBLIN | Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:00pm BST

(Reuters) - Cyprus is considering putting EU structural funds to earlier use to help its stricken economy but is not asking for a bigger bailout from the euro zone and the International Monetary Fund than the agreed 10 billion euros, EU officials said on Friday.

yes skinny they are - once i worked out what you were talking about :-)

cynic - as I said, it is very straight forward.

1) register with a free Host - I use Photbucket

2) When logged in click on the "Upload" tab.

3) Click on "Browse files" - this will browse your PC.

4) click on the picture/image that you want to upload.

5) Open the picture/image - this will upload it

6) click on the small image that appears on photbucket and a list of options appear on the right.

7) click on "direct link" and the link is automatically copied.

8) To post the image on MAM, click on the and paste the copied link.

9) post the image!

Easy-peasey-Japaneesey ah Skinny..

Slovenia to Cast Shadow over Euro-Zone Bond Sales

By Emese Bartha Slovenia's debt auctions next week provide the latest litmus test in the euro-zone crisis on concerns that its ailing banks could lead it to call for a bailout. The two Slovenian auctions, a sale and a buyback, come amid a crop of euro-zone bond sales next week from Germany, Spain, France and Slovakia, with demand likely to be supported by the continuing anticipation of cash flows out of Japan in the wake of the country's massive economic stimulus package. Bond issuance will total around 18 billion euros ($23.56 billion). "The BoJ [Bank of Japan] stimulus is basically crowding out investors in Japanese government bonds and thus a JGB investor has to find a substitute," said Danske Bank analysts. They said such investors have a preference for liquid sovereigns with high and stable ratings. "Hence, a bias for Germany and France," they said, but with demand spilling over to the euro zone's semi-core and peripheral debt. Next week sees EUR35 billion in redemptions from Germany, Italy, Ireland and Greece, plus EUR5 billion in coupon payments, according to data from Newedge economist Annalisa Piazza. She said that "as such, supply is unlikely to be a key market driver." Italy, which had T-bill and bond sales this week, returns to the market next week, when it will launch its first tranche of the year in BTP Italia, a four-year retail-oriented bond indexed to domestic inflation. The Italian Treasury raised a whopping EUR27 billion last year through three issues of BTP Italia. Subscriptions will run from April 15 to April 18, unless the offer closes early. "We could again see this add significantly to the funding base," Danske Bank analysts said. The Slovenian finance ministry said Thursday that it wants to raise EUR500 million from the sale of 18-month T-bills next Wednesday. The proceeds are intended to cover the repurchase of T-bills maturing on June 6. On the same day, the ministry also wants to buy back further bills worth EUR855 million. The sale could be a major challenge since the country raised only EUR56.1 million at a sale of short-term debt this week, well short of its targeted EUR100 million. If its debt auctions succeed they would help "build confidence [that Slovenia] can still rely on market funding to satisfy its borrowing needs amid increased speculation that the country will be the next one in need of a bailout," said Nordea's chief strategist, Jan von Gerich. Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Slovenia isn't on the agenda at a meeting of European Union finance ministers Friday. Meanwhile, Slovakia will tap its 4.625% January 2017 and 3% February 2023-dated bonds Monday, with open volume, as usual. On Wednesday, Germany will offer EUR4 billion of its 1.50% February 2023 Bund. If the auction took place now the current yield of 1.264% would be a record low for 10-year German debt. "Below 1.30%--levels before the [European Central Bank's] OMT announcement, when risks of a fragmentation were much greater--the Bund appears excessively rich and we therefore remain sellers of this debt despite its intrinsic quality," said Natixis analysts. Spain will auction July 2016, January 2018 and January 2023-dated bonds Thursday for an amount to be announced Monday. The country's funding program for this year is well advanced with around 39% of its planned bond issuance now completed, but a European Commission report earlier this week warned that a deep recession, deleveraging and bumpy access to market financing remain a "tangible threat." France winds up next week's euro-zone bond sales with up to EUR9.5 billion in two conventional fixed rate and three inflation-indexed bonds. Outside the euro zone, the U.K. will tap its 3.125% 2044-dated Gilt for 2.25 billion pounds ($3.46 billion) a day after the Bank of England releases minutes of its most recent policy meeting.

Should help the GJ short along#!!

More - Easy-peasey-lemon-squeezy :-)

Still trying to break below 152, its been a good day today shorting the Yen.

Running short bets on Wall St also, still trending up though... Have reduced unrealised losses today.

I closed and reversed my FTSE short 74 and closed @94 - now just watching.

Not a fan of the FTSE at the moment

Gold Enters Bear Market, Down 20% From 2011 Record Highs
By Tatyana Shumsky and Matt Day Gold plunged into bear-market territory on Friday, falling about $60 to its lowest since July 2011 as investors continued to dump the precious metal following U.S. data showing tame inflation. The most actively traded gold contract, for June delivery, was recently down $55, or 3.5%, at $1,509.90 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures fell as low as $1,505 an ounce. A bear market is defined roughly as 20% down from a recent peak. Traders and analysts said Friday's selloff lacked an obvious trigger, and reflected the malaise that has set in the gold market. A steadying U.S. economy, relatively strong U.S. dollar, and worries that the Federal Reserve would curb its easing measures have hit demand for gold and other precious metals. "There has been no major, fresh fundamental news development to spark this latest drop in gold," said Jim Wyckoff, an analyst with Kitco Metals. Some gold holders, Mr. Wyckoff said, cashed out to cut their losses after heavy selling hit the market overnight. Through Thursday, gold was down 6.6% in 2013. Traders said gold was pressured Friday after data showed U.S. wholesale inflation fell in March, as falling gasoline costs more than offset rising food prices. The producer price index, which measures how much manufacturers and wholesalers pay for finished goods, decreased 0.6% from a month earlier, the Labor Department said. Some investors buy gold as a hedge against inflation, and relatively stable prices in the U.S. and much of Europe has sapped demand.

hope bhunt is not long on gold.,.

That's why I posted the article, help insure all info to hand... Thanks Skinny for the chart..