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

In and out before breakfast, always nice to start the week on a positive.

Wed is the Fed interest rate decision day. That looks to be the most influential event this week.

EDIT: Forgot UK budget release on wednesday!

Think you were right first time Harry -):

as has become the habit, much of the budget has already been leaked, and the market is accepting it with surprising sangfoid (that'll be a banned word if we vote "out")

I fancy a down day tomorrow but will wait till the morning for some confirmation before maybe going short.

ED: The 100 I mean.

Don't forget guys and dolls till we put our clocks back or is it forward? News stateside 1230hrs Dow open 1330hrs, easy to get caught out :0)

Yes Chris i do get caught out every year.

DOW
17,140 now being threatened
if that breaks, it could lead to further downside


FTSE
still holding comfortably above the key 6,100 level

don't know what these actually were, but DOW has fallen off a bit further .....

At 8.30 a.m. ET the Commerce Department is due to release retail sales data for February with economists expecting a decline from January's numbers. Also at 8:30 a.m. we get the latest U.S. Producer Price Index

Is that US time today or our time for tomorrow?

today and US time

Thanks, a bearish report then? http://uk.investing.com/economic-calendar/core-retail-sales-63

Should have gone short like you thought last night Stan .

I have gone short but it's static at the mo JB.

wrong call at the moment ...... DOW just refuses to drop and stay dropped

Maybe Stan should have gone with his gut last night .

Down here and flat there.

Big move expected in the US indices later today, depending on the FED interest rate decision. All pretty flat at the moment......waiting....waiting.

i'm sure JY's comments will be completely neutral
whether the market will actually take much note remains to be seen

I'm not sure you are right. Expectation might be different from reality this time. No change is expected, but it's possible she may increase by a quarter.