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 if you are selling to buy $

Cynic: I've had fun trading the FX EUR/USD in my IG demo account this week - it could help to ease your pain!

rather than give money to the (b)ankers who got us in this mess to shore up their balance sheet and who don't pass the money to consumers who need it the Federal reserve would do better by intervening in the FX markets and buying $'s to nip commodity inflation in the bud before it gets out of control

str* ..... the thought may be good, but history shows that gov't intervention in the currency markets is a total waste of time and money


Toya ..... (Toya-boya calling -lol!) ..... from somewhere, i believe the prognostication is : = 1.27 before an about-turn ..... don't know about $: ..... if i had had half a brain, would have actually shorted :JPY at about 211/212, as that is forecast to fall to 190 over the next 12 months

The dollar will regain strength soon when their rapid actions will reap results in that they will be much further on in the whole global slowdown and therefore much further ahead in the whole cycle.. would expect to see a top with the eurusd pair within couple months... certainly will carry on gaining ground against stirling once the current correction finishes...

Oil up again...oh dear : as a motorist I must protest !, as an investor delighted !..now past $105 and rising....this could create 2 stockmarket worlds : oil stocks going ballistic and probably certain commodities and the rest all in the gloom !

Oil up which mkt are you watching...looks like another long night as have been whip sawed again on a covering long at 10538. I really should know better by now.

required field...apologies looks like it is going North again, although playing in $1.5 up and down intraday band. actually waste of time writing this as on the retreat again LOL

Unlucky storeysj, When things start to go pear shaped I often open up a hedging position and nearly did so this afternoon but fortunately left it a while. Oil is so volatile at the moment it will probably be at 106 before you know it. I have closed one short out from 104.25 at a 100 point profit after seeing a 170 point loss, whilst the brent short at 100.57 is still looking a bit pasty.

i know the feeling it has been crazy today. Managed to close two of my shorts and got within 12 points of closing another 2. Even recovered my whipsaw loss and made money but it has been one hell off an effort as prices have swung nearly 2 dollars in less than a minute 3 times already. Makes indices look childs play

There is a rumour circulating the city that the jobs number will be so made the Fed may be planning an emergency rate cut today. Something to consider before you take your positions on the dow. If this is off the mark please dont shoot the messenger

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Recent market turmoil shouldn't lead to expectations the Federal Reserve will repeat the emergency inter-meeting rate cut it undertook in January, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said in a television interview Friday. `"I would discourage you from thinking that simply because of a significant action in the credit markets, like we had yesterday, that suddenly we're going to have an Open Market Committee meeting, and that suddenly we're going to move Fed funds rates in response," Fisher told Bloomberg Television at a conference in Paris. "It doesn't work that way." Fisher was the only member of the rate-setting committee to vote against the half-point cut in January.

anyone know of a site which can relay information as soon as it happens? we are all awaiting NFP info at 13:30 but dont think the site i use can relay the info until way past the event...

If your in an office cnbc webcast. It costs 31 quid a year.

Quite frustrated at my lack of actions, but have one position running badly against me which is affecting my thinking on any other trades, have called a couple of good ones last couple of days, but taken no action because of the position i find myself in... I very nearly shorted wall street at 12070 less than an hour ago...

Payrolls plunge by 63,000 largest monthly decline in 5 years... Is this the start of a massive sell off, or will it be shrugged off, this on top of fresh credit concerns yesterday, outlook is bleak.

Dow now at 11,936 and looking negative. today

ran a FTSE short from last last night .... got very scary just before US figures with FTSE jumping up and down faster than Zebedee .... cashed in as 5667 as i believe there is perceived support at 5675 ..... makes up for my stupidity yesterday where i forgot basics and failed to cash in a decent profit on Dow.

am quite tempted to short Dow now (about 11940) with a stop at say 12025 just in case the market takes it into its head that the next big rate cut is not only just round the corner but is a "good thing"

there has to be central bank intervention going on . Cant think of any other explanation that would push the eur / $ rate down so quickly

Should bode well for crude shorts though!