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

but i'ld like to think that coutts have it right .......

This past year saw some big swings in financial markets, driven more by sentiment than by any significant change in the economic fundamentals. We think any lingering gloom is likely to clear up as we head into 2016.
While perceptions often drive markets in the short run, our long-term investment approach is to look for economic reality to reassert itself. For example, last year’s big plunge in oil prices was widely regarded as a sign of a sharp slowdown in global growth, but we saw it as good news for the world’s consumers, who tend to spend the windfall from lower fuel bills.
As we explain in our title feature ‘Reasons to be cheerful’, we think global growth will be surprisingly strong in 2016. We maintained our preference for equities over bonds when it wasn’t popular to do so, and we think this will pay off in due course.

both ftse and dow are all over the place with dow in one 10-minute spell covering a range of about 170 points!

somewhat worrying to see FTSE now having a peek at the important 5900 level

It's (not) beginning to look like Christmas! Not yet anyway. Maybe worth waiting till Thursday see how the markets react after Fed decision Wednesday.

Don't worry Chris he'll be here soon.........

if there's a bounce coming, the elastic is sure being stretched hard

Lets hope so ,no let up at present .

FTSE is a total disaster area (5875) and DOW not far behind (17170)

there's an alleged DOW support at 17150 which has been hit just a few minutes ago, but it's a brave man who can call the bottom

Alf, the bottom will be hit on this Friday the 18th (or before) it's Triple Witching day as well.. I know about these things -):

i took a tiny dow long at 17148 and made 30 points as hadn't the time to keep watching, nor probably the balls had i done so ....... anyway, dow is currently 17285(!!) which has dragged cash ftse back above 5900

==============

i'm hoping wednesday and a us rate rise will provide some upward stimulus ...... at the very least, a rise would remove the unknowns and indicate that the consensus is that the us economy is sufficiently strong to warrant same

if upward momentum is to be truly under way for dow, then it needs to get another 120 points under its belt, and to hold there

Turnaround Tuesday !!!!!!!!!!!!

The delightful Dow is up 52 as I post.

More like it

+103 now.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-stocks-rise-ahead-of-fed-interest-rate-decision-1450084339

Is it this ..............



Or this ................

both dow and ftse currently at very "interesting" levels
for further impetus, we probably need to see both breaking further north

whether or not there'll be some sort of sell-off following the news of the us rate rise tomorrow is a great unknown ...... and even if there is an immediate reaction (in either direction), will it just be a short-lived knee-jerk?

Personally think that the rate rise over there is already priced in, and that a quarter point rise will have no effect when confirmed, but we shall see.

on that basis, are the markets (still) o'sold, especially dow?

Yes they are , but we need oil to pick up to get the rally going