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

Crude has just dropped 3 dollars! Will gold follow suit ?

gold:oil, 9:1 ratio remember.. Cynic thats a tough one comparing ZAR .etc to oil, you make. However a report very worth while reading.. 12300 support yet again tonight on the DOW, bet you had a field day on the FTSE ranges..

The higher crude goes the more the variations could intensify, just like a 1 stock !

Sorry explosive., but what is a 9:1 ratio?

Sorry explosive for some reason did not see your explanation, too much eye strain,must eat more carrots!

Falcothou no worries, 9:1 ratio simply is put is a historic relationship between gold and oil prices say gold is 900USD the oil would be around 100USD or there about... Check it out for yourself, a handy ratio to know I find and I tend to trade both in the same direction....

John, congrats on your patience, looks like you are to be rewarded, below 12300 again...

Big Ted, thankyou, I did however play the 30 minute game for some quick profits last night as the ranges were just too good to stay out of.... Anyway not one to brag, how you doing? Been reading posts and you seam to have some good ideas and some risky ones............ Cynic seams one to watch as even I didn't see up upwards rebound coming yesterday so made some money on his prediction when the move came.... I guess everyone can learn a trick or two, great thread this one I personally think and all for free as well..

wish i was clever too! .... seem to have got the rhythm right at the mo ..... have brought in my stops/limits to 12345/12265, but am too busy cooking tonight (you read correctly!) .... i see Dow has been as low as 12275 this evening, but confess have left my "cheat sheet" at the office, but from memory 12235/12250 are the first numbers to watch for a bounce

Thanks Cynic, so what you cooking then??.... Room for another...!!

I think everyone adopts an approach that suits them, i just haven't found mine yet!

Ted I think thats very true, I for one am happier with a long game, 100, 200 points slip in the wrong direction isn't a problem when your confident of a 1000 points in the medium to long term. OK its alot less profitable but like any good business its your bread and butter and more importantly, well for me pays, for the quick judgements. In a way I suppose you could say I've been lucky so far but for the long plays their really handed out on a plate in the sense all I need do, is go with the trend and what all the analysts are predicting... Lets face it most of them are saying 10,000 to 10,500 on the DOW and 190.00 long term on the GBP/JPY which is what I'm playing....

chicken liver pate, houmus, lamb tagine, puy lentils with walnuts pistachios and feta + mustard vinaigrette ... since you ask ..... nice bottle of good and mature rioja too

Makes my fish and rice mixed with mayo and peas sound dull...!
John, i also have the long game in sight, i know Richard sems to do well calling the markets etc, but i would love to have got into gold at $400, the euro v dollar when it was parity etc, long term trends are where i expect to do well, except i keep wanting to take profits consistantly whenever they are there, so i need to fine tune, still i have youth on my side (i am only twelve after all...! lol)

suspect 12265 was about the bottom as i see i was stopped out (limit up) at that point .... will help cushion tomorrow's soggy start in london, though glad to see some recovery thereafter

Cynic your dinner beats my trip to Tesco in a minute, again played the range tonight 12300 down and 12265 back up. As luck had it finished on a down position so won't have to get up in the morning too early and change.

Ted, glad to hear you have a long term game plan, be even better if I get a decent fall to 20750 on the yen tomorrow..... I figure its way too high tracking againt todays movements, may even get a short on the FTSE going it I rallies by the time I reach work.

Just for record, i too am short of GBP/YEN, so with you on that note, only recently, though, so would love it to go comfortably blue...have multiple shorts on other currencies too, after a bit of a mad one today...:)

DOW finished down on the day & tomorrow will be friday. Are you shorters expecting a FTSE slide/sell off ?

difficult to read .... too early in the day and Dow at least finished above 122650

DOW looks flat. Are you guys expecting a friday afternoon selloff?
Sorry to labour the question, but am looking to buy some shares now, but hope to time it right on the dip!