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

Why change now? If most of the worst is over, then the climb out of recession should be nice & gradual from now on. Two steps forward for one step back. Any stocks which you own should start paying a dividend (depending on company) & growth figures will start to improve.

I'm thinking along the lines of just keeping no more than half a dozen stocks and disposing of them easily as soon as the slightest incline towards a drop of any kind.....I have too much of a variation of shares at the moment : this is alright on the way up...but as these severe pullbacks now occur on a regular trend, 2 or 3 times a year, I'm thinking of a reduced quota.....more easily disposed of....

ftse
5400 was the target just a few days ago ..... it didn't touch the sides as it dropped through that


dow
initial target remains 10780, and that is only 70/80 points lower


on balance, i guess (hope!) we have pretty much seen the sharp but long overdue correction
whether the next move up will just be DCB or something more sustainable is, i fear, very much 50/50

required field - Bit dramatic mate! :o)

I'm surprised gold does'nt seem to be in demand.. everything seems to have headed south.

Edit - That remark was directed to your first post. 5185 is that not the norm?

Yep, I am with you on that one rf. I currently have 29 stocks - too many (Split 50/50 trade & hold), but I have to make notes to remind myself why I bought them & what my target is. However I see no point in taking any losses at the moment as most of them will come back to profit, I think! Makes it all very frustrating & exciting at times.

Lets not forget, we have had a spectacular rise.

.....With another lofty spike coming when the Tories get in!!!! ;o)

If....... crumbs....I'm going to have to wake myself up in the middle of the night to look at the results......

I wouldn't even bother going to bed!

Markets for UK futures and gilts will open at 1am London time on May 7 as the general election is decided.


A note from the New York Stock Exchange London International Financial Futures and options Exchange has revealed that markets for three-month short Sterling futures, short, medium and long gilt futures and also FTSE 100 index futures contracts will be available for trading at 1:00am GMT on May 7, six hours earlier than usual.

EMU - stronger $ = weaker bullion

Traders paradise, if like me rf shit at it, take a sleeping pill :o))

i have gone modestly long ftse at 5339 but shall consider taking profit at 5400 and shall almost certainly do so at 5435

Gold price zooming!

gosh, so it is ..... i wonder what brought that on? ..... further uncertainty about eurozone? ..... unlikely, or it would have happened a few days ago

shut down my ftse long .... total bloodbath continues on wall street (-250 @ 10615) which must surely bring further massacres in london tomorrow ...... only bright spot is gold (+$23 @ $1197) .... oil continues to tumble (now -$3.00 @ 8140)

Looks like Europe is the thorn in the side again:
CNN -""There's no question that Europe and Greece and specifically the fear of contagion is what's driving the market lower near term," said Hank Smith, chief investment officer at Haverford Investments.

"Having said that, we also have to be cognizant that the market was due for a pullback at a minimum, and possibly a correction," he said.

He noted that the market hasn't had a correction - technically defined as a selloff of 10% on a closing basis - for at least 14 months".

look at it now!!!! down 410 as we speak

it was down 800 (no misprint) a few seconds ago