The market seems to be selling-off on the back of limited bad news imo, apart from the dollar that is.

If you can hold your nerve and apart from any short term requirements to offload poor performing stocks, I have a couple!!, my advice would be sit tight. This does not have the feel of the tech(mining!) bubble at all. Difference being there are a lot of good fundamentals, unlike in 2000 when there were a lot of over rated nothing companies.

"On Friday, when Countrywide Financial reports its third quarter earnings, Wall Street and economists will get their best look yet at just how bad ...... Its report, which could have important ramifications for the nation's financial sector, will offer a window on the depths of the real estate and home-building downturn ...... Analysts surveyed by earnings tracker First Call forecast that the company will report a loss of $1.26 a share - a dramatic turn from the $1.03 per share profit it made a year earlier. Loss estimates range as high as $3.47 a share."

this could prove very nasty indeed ...... i shall be travelling too much until next week to keep a constant watch, so am exceedingly unlikely to take a postion in the indices, though i think for trhe nimble, there will be some good pickings ...... in both directions, as gyrations are likely to be pretty wild

merrill writedown , 7.9 billion , numbers which are hard to get your head round

Sell out today before the drop which is due very soon

comment on house sales:

"It's not surprising that sales were weak, what is becoming more of a realization is with such high inventory levels, the highest since 1998, that prices are going down, and lower prices are going to effect everything; that is the next leg," said Peter Boockvar, equity strategist at Miller Tabek.

Thanks to Kyoto on the Traders board for posting this link:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2200423,00.html

Even in the future it may well be worth your interests looking back and reading that link again before making your investment decisions, I certainly will.

i alaso question whether or not Fed really will cut rates again this week ...... to my mind, it would give out all the wrong signals and certainly fuel future inflation

Seems to be a lot of expectation that they will. The big gains on oil, gold, and mining seem to reflect this along with some highly leveraged long positions that could be difficult to unwind if rates stay the same. Wednesday/Thursday will be volatile days.Personally I hope they do reflected in a few shorts I have perhaps foolhardedly put on

As quoted by Tom Hougaard from City Index today:

"The way I interpret the market action is that Wall Street are leaning heavily on another cut by at least 25 basis points. If the market doesn't get it, we will see a spectacular sell-off. If it does get 50 basis points, as some analysts expect, we should see new all time highs for the Dow over the coming month."

Tricky call now. Do I lock in all profit just in case there is a sell off, but if the Fed do drop rates then I will have sold for nothing & will miss the surge! Any thoughts?

One option might be to go long and short of the dow just before the announcement with tight guaranteed stop losses, that way if it took off, one would make a heap, the other a small loss.

Is that what they call a 'hedge' ? ;-) Maybe a new analogy - One in the hand and one in the bush !

i do not ask what you are doing with your hands, but a short of either Dow or FTSE to protect your long portfolio at least in part is not a bad strategy

Is that the 'Burning Bush' ? If so might sell everything!
Any other kind of bush & will be content to hold. :o)

I was really trying to guage opinions on whether Fed rate would change or not.
It would seem that half a point down would see the DOW & FTSE reach unprecedented highs. Assuming we are going to see yet more fallout from the sub-prime fiasco in the coming months, this could be my only opportunity to feather my nest (as opposed to my bush).

it seems to me that the markets are already anticipating an awful lot of good news -too much in my opinion.

Morning Mr C. Can appreciate the sentiments. thanks.

Morning Harry, I believe that there are still a lot of people out there wanting to burn the 'George W' variety.

As Mr C says, there seems to be a bit too much anticipation of good news and not enough downside planning. Make hay while the sun shines.... but keep your waterpoofs ready.

am taking money off the table this morning and am already running a small Dow short which i shall prob increase

Brave move cynic, in the short term (next 2 weeks) at least. Certainly not for medium term (next 2 months)

I prefer the long and short option with tight stop losses. I expect a 25 basis point cut, 50 points would cause fresh highs then reality would sink in and the bear run on the dow will probably gain momentum.

Results have been favourable this last week in US, but economic data is becoming increasingly gloomy, we are nearing the top in the US.

Follow that with some position covering, by sell off in asia, add afew automated stop losses and we have a major correction.

Makes you wonder whether the average American would be better off with the savings on their mortgages by a cut than with the resultant increased fuel charges for their enormous SUV's, or are thet all driving Smart cars and prius's these days?

Seems to be a lot of holders ditching gold before this fed decision

What's the logic behind that? I thought Gold was a safe haven in times of trouble.