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

I don't speak french so i won't be ordering those they could be dogs bollocks for all i know . I tend to have very mixed results (thats english for losing by the way)when i trade indicies.

I don't know how we're talking food here but should anybody be in the southwest and rhone regions in France then try the "truite aux amandes" ( fresh trout, river fish with almonds) really good most of the time....anyway footsie is doing incredibly well....what a bull run...I will need a weekend break from this...once again : what a rise !.

very 70s! you'll be suggesting truite au bleu soon ..... meanwhile am more than pleased about the modest FTSE long i opened the other day ...... shall let it run with trailing stop

Did a BG. run in and out today....very nice.

this is all beginning to look fearfully frothy ...... however, like most here i guess, i keep looking at my portfolio and find myself paralysed by greed! ..... that is to say, i feel quite strongly that i should reduce exposure, but in virtually all cases, there is persuasion that there is still more upside - e.g. PXS and even CRA

with oilies, whether minnows or proper, there remains the persistent feeling that a bonanza is imminent - e.g. GKP - or a t/o a growing possibility - e.g. TLW and PMO

for sure a luxury problem at the moment, but i don't want to find myself wringing my hands in a week or two

How about just a big slowdown ?? ,i have been thinking that we are in for a third big dip ,we had Oct /Mar and i was predicting another in aug a third dip with a higher low ,however i still have my money in as i don't want to miss out.

It seems that every day more news comes from the US that things are stablising so maybe i'm wrong and i'm not going to go against the market.
Maybe we will slowdown and get the few down days instead of a big crash.

that's called greed! .... don't forget that the markets are always looking forward 6+ months, so an awful lot of ghope and good news is already inbuilt

I agree ,that's why i'm expecting a big slowdown at some point ,maybe not a huge crash ,+ i'm not trading day to day,, i have what i would call recovery stocks that i intend to hold in to next year ,however if it starts to go pearshaped i will bail out ,very hard to call though...

you'll be too late

If that's your view ,i take it your out then .

i have been trimming this morning for sure ..... profit in bank = profit ..... profit on paper = zilch

Very true ,and i have done my usual sell half when there's a profit and hang on to the rest ..

I too have been taking money off the table over recent weeks, in some cases selling too early, but a profit is a profit and I have felt the market has gone too far for the deep s--- we have had inflicted on us by our inept gov. AIMO of course.
2517

Huge spike in overnight futures had ftse upto 4950! Always easiest to manipulate when volume is light on a Sunday night

had a trailing stop which worked very well as had my long shut at 4895 for a very nice profit, especially considering the modest outlay

I did the opposite and shorted from 4910-4880,bear points are few and far between at the moment though there is some rumblings that September may show a change in the weather.Even Odey asset management I gather are dumbfounded by the rally

this is a totally loony day!
i don't think i have ever seen my portfolio increase this much in a single session, though i'm damn sure i have seen the reverse

Yes not exactly rocket science of late!

I think we are all getting nervous now that the market has seen many stocks surge ahead, possibly too far, too fast.
"Since bottoming at a 12-1/2 year low on March 9, the S&P 500 is up 52% as of Tuesday afternoon. The pace and breadth of the run up has left many Wall Streeters calling for a big selloff in September and October. But so far, there has been no indication of that.

"Generally, the market keeps moving higher even though so-called experts are saying it's overbought," said Terry Morris, senior equity manager, National Penn Investors Trust. "It's surprisingly strong. Maybe we have turned a corner."

Full article here:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/25/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm?postversion=2009082516

Labour Day in the U.S. Monday 7th Sept '09. Volume expected to be thin in the days leading up to the long w/e, according to Bloomberg.