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

US banks reporting season starts next week, should stir up the market.

If they are still using the Enron school of accounting, they should blast through expectations

Yes, according to the w/e FT the quarterly update on earnings performance in the U.S. is probably set to drive the U.S. indices higher, though with the usual volatile days.
"For the next few weeks U.S. companies earnings are bouyed by the weak dollar and they will probably deliver the hoped for positive 'surprise' which will keep stocks rolling along'.

Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and General Electric will all report later this week.
Will be interesting to see how many of the big boys bring in results better than anticipated.

Intel rings up $9.4 billion in sales in the third quarter, easily beating analysts' profit and earnings expectations.

would hope this "after hours" result will wake up the markets tomorrow

FTSE has now shot through 5220, so assuming it all holds, target becomes 5768 - so i am advised!

Awesome, thanks. Presumably the DOW short is being reviewed?

from memory, the key was 10050 or something like that .... anyway, it hasn't yet been hit or broken ..... Dow and FTSE do not necessarily march hand in hand

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adjusted this week to "buy on a break above 9950" .... as Dow looks to have been comfortably above that for most of this session, that point has presumably been reached ..... i am certainly happy with the way my FTSE long has performed

early doors, but FTSE still holding above 5220 (5235) and Dow above 9950 (10002)

it's a bit like being charlie in the chocolate factory at the moment ..... we are all totally spoiled for choice as to what to buy next ..... both gold and oil remain strong, the likes of PCI come in with a strong rns o'night etc etc, house prices rose 2.8% in october and of course Apple's numbers knocked the forecasts for 6

Many stocks turned red in the last hour or so (although some gone ex-divi). DOW futures currently -48.
Presumably we are expecting some bad figures from some of the big boys in the U.S.?

EDIT : Just seen this:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- "Stocks were headed for a lower open Wednesday as investors awaited quarterly financial results from Morgan Stanley and Boeing."

"EDIT : Just seen this:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- "Stocks were headed for a lower open Wednesday as investors awaited quarterly financial results from Morgan Stanley and Boeing."

Which shows why you should not trust what you read in the papers - or in the news if you want to be pedantic!

Up 0.65% after an hour.

TP

tricky start in store for the morrow unless market (Dow) turns around by close ..... currently -80 and struggling, though crude is now $82 and pretty solid and gold $1058 after $1065

Absolute nightmare trying to second guess the indices atm, imo.
Trading equities is currently the limit of my abilities at present & happy to stick to what I know (or think I know!).

Rough day today for those trading equities (unless you had the good fortune to be in pub groups) but with the DOW up 132 points this evening am hoping for a better friday than usual!

Post 4486 - I agree Harry. In fact this market will skin anyone who tries to second guess it's movement.

WTI...$81.45.....going strong.

No growth and surprisingly we are still in recession.

Sums it all up really.

Its why i posted here some time ago that trading indicies is pure gambling ..

Bet its not :-)