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

Gald I closed the DAX Friday pm, got out at just under break even. I have no positions in indicies at the moment.

Cynic - DAX runs on with the FTSE after the close whilst other indicies such as the DOW are live.

Scalped a quick Ftse short out @ 6526.9 +16.50. That's me done for the day..

too dangerous and scary, so am just sitting on my hands (i hope!)

it's scary just sitting on the sidelines and watching ......
FTSE opened down about 20 and then recovered pretty much to b/e and is now down 50+

Makes you laugh Putin shakes his fist and the stockmarket crumbles ,i did think we were going to have a bounce today .
I'm in deficit with several trades now ,i suppose you would call me a holder :)

jimmy - that's a bit naive of you, but it's hard (too scary) to believe that it will all end in fisticuffs

meanwhile, because i'm a total arsehole, i have just opened a small dow long at 16033

6523.3 going long FTSE

6527.8 position closed. +4.5

hope that was a VERY BIG punt for a measly 4.5 points :-)

Naive why ? cynic , i don't think for one minute it will end in a fight but it is just that markets seem to get rocked so easily .

It was big enough Cynic that I didn't want to leave it running...

naive that you are surprised that the markets are rocked so easily

markets dislike uncertainty at the best of times, and this is potentially worse than many scenarios, not only because of potential civil unrest or worse in ukraine, but also because of russia's grip on the gas pipeline to much of europe

Its all rather ironic, at a time when the US is looking to remove fuel export bans an capitalise on supply.

US is full of powerful lobbies, from guns to truckers to LNG to helium

On the economic front, investors will consider the latest monthly retail sales figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Those numbers will be out at 8:30 a.m. ET.
given that cash dow is now +90, i guess those were pretty healthy, albeit that the plunge of last week may trigger a bounce of its own accord

this won't hurt either ....

Citigroup reported net income of $3.9bn in the first quarter, beating analyst estimates as its executives face their first public grilling over why the bank failed the Federal Reserve’s stress tests last month.
The bank’s net income grew 3 per cent from the same quarter a year ago when it reported $3.8bn. Analysts had estimated the bank would earn $3.6bn.

Off topic but I'm loving the Concha thread right now...

dow long
out 16118 (+85) but shall watch to see how market progesses during the day for perhaps another foray

DOW can't even give us a lift .

April 14 (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales recorded their largest gain in 1-1/2 years in March, in the latest sign the economy was emerging from its weather-induced slumber and on track to accelerate in the second quarter. The Commerce Department said on Monday retail sales increased 1.1 percent last month, the biggest rise since September 2012, as receipts rose in nearly all categories. Retail sales, which account for a third of consumer spending, had risen by a revised 0.7 percent in February. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, advancing 0.8 percent last month after a previously reported 0.3 percent gain in February. Retail sales added to employment data in suggesting the economy found momentum at the end of the first quarter after an unusually cold and snowy winter disrupted economic activity at the end of 2013 and the beginning of this year. So-called core sales, which strip out automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, and correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product, increased 0.8 percent in March. That followed a revised 0.4 percent rise in February. Core retail sales had previously been reported to have increased 0.3 percent in February. Despite the two consecutive months of gains, a drop in core sales in January suggests consumer spending will slow down substantially from the fourth quarter's brisk 3.3 percent pace. Retail sales last month were buoyed by a 3.1 percent surge in receipts at automobile and parts dealers. That was the biggest advance since September 2012. Excluding autos, retail sales were up 0.7 percent, the biggest increase in a year, after rising 0.3 percent in February. Sales at building materials and garden equipment stores increased 1.8 percent, the largest rise in eight months. Receipts at electronics and appliance stores, however, fell 1.6 percent. There were also declines in sales at gasoline stations, which fell 1.3 percent. Excluding gasoline, retail sales rose a solid 1.4 percent, the biggest rise in four years. Sales at furniture stores increased 1.0 percent. Receipts at clothing stores climbed 1.0 percent as well. There were also gains in receipts at sporting goods shops, restaurants and nonstore retailers.