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

You could have : a little rise in a drop down day in a current up-trend in a bear market !....(apologies if it's starting to sound like comedy).

I think the bulls will sensibly be testing the bears resolve. Was yesterdays drop down to "pre stress test" worries, or something more determined? The next few days/week of trading will probably answer the question.

In my opinion.

Strawbs.

The very fact that you have put your toe in the water Strawbs, implies that the future is looking brighter now! I remember the days when you were firmly hunkered down.

Perhaps Harry. But depending on how the charts look, I'm planning to go back to my bunker for the summer. :-)

Strawbs.

LoL rf
i think you've cracked it.
regards
jkd

Thanks jkd, the question is : when do we return to the "all bear conditions" ?, perhaps not as long as the rising crude trend is on..., might not come back at all...I hope that it will not come suddenly when I'm not watching !.

1:30pm GMT US Non-Farm Employment Change.

Things might be a bit clearer once we get those numbers out of the way.

Judging by the bounce and figures over the last few days, the markets probably pricing in a relatively good number. I suppose the risk therefore is weighted on the downside should the numbers disappoint. I haven't a clue what a disappointing number would be though. They seem to rally on anything these days, good, bad or even shocking....

In my opinion.

Strawbs.

Consensus seems that there's a lot riding on this one. Not sure if it's helium or hydrogen driving the rally, one's inert the other goes bang!

Don't viruses attack bacteria? They must have been reformed.

Is a Rickettsia a bacteria or a virus?

*Payrolls (April) down 539K; Jobless Rate up to 8.9%

Better then expected but not much change in the footsie, probably waiting for the Dow to open or already factored in.

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch195/ch195a.html
For Fred

DOW close to the 200 DMA. Will be interesting to see if it breaches this level.
The may prophesy of poor market performance has still not matierialised & now a risk of being left behind, but an atificially high oil price is still a worry, imo. High reserves & price only supported by speculators.

"The may prophesy of poor market performance has still not matierialised"

True H but we are only just over half way through, see where we are come the end -):

many use the 200 day ma so thats ok in my opinion to follow. sometimes the 233 ma is better. i prefer to use this one.it often shows why the 200 iis breached and then fails. it is a fibonacci number. 144 +89.currentley sitting at 8783 just a suggestion. dyor.
regards
jhkd

Well : the usual "Sell in May and go away " is turning this year (so far) in to : "Buy in May and tuck away"....there is no doubt that certain shares out there are absolute bargains and for the "longterm" would prove to be good purchases....anyway nice to see the bull trend if we can call it that continuing !.

I'm probably wrong but I'm feeling more cautious about these markets, if we are having the mother of all recessions and with possibly another 1 million more people out of work to come, government finances dire at best, consumers worldwide almost on strike, and few signs of improvement in the housing markets, then how come we appear to be coming out the other side so soon.
2517

I think it's because the markets are always forward looking. What is happening today is not hugely relevant, it's what general sentiment anticipates will happen which seems to drive the bull run (sucker's rally). When or if it turns out to be wrong, then down we go again.

HC---I agree markets are forward looking, but not 3 years or so, which is thought in some circles to be the time frame before the banks are profitable again, and also the drop in house prices stops, there are a lot more market shaking shocks to come imo, and whereas I am normally optimistic, I will continue profit taking (mainly) in the current market. Good luck, whatever your views.
2517

you looked at DWY yet cynic? ;-)