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

Comment from pfgbest.com (Phil Flynn) on oil price:
"Obviously the oil market believes that demand will fall as well and the market seems to be suggesting further weakness as we move forward. OPEC Secretary-General Abdalla El-Badri added to that mindset when he said global demand for oil is rising less than expected. Bloomberg News Reported that El-Badri said fiscal woes in Europe and high unemployment in the U.S. are curbing global oil-demand growth. Crude supply from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries may be boosted by 500,000 to 600,000 barrels a day from Libyas eastern and western fields soon, he said at a conference in Dubai. Fighting in Libya since February has reduced the availability of light, sweet crude, or oil with low density and sulfur content. The countrys output fell to 45,000 barrels a day last month, according to Bloomberg estimates, compared with the 1.6 million barrels a day the nation pumped in January."

bernie when are you going to learn how to make it on the way up as well as on the way down, it's called trading. you should stop sharing a room with jim davidson and try to get out of the funny farm.

Says the investor. BTW my boy I trade both ways FYI

Looks like indices have built in some good news rumoured from the FED for Wednesday.

If it does nothing, today's gains and more will be lost in an instant

But, if it does, then they won't.

Correct Harry.

Sky News 2011, 21:43, Tuesday 20 September 2011

The International Monetary Fund has told Sky News that Greece leaving the eurozone was "not a scenario we are considering" and the country's default was "not inevitable".

IMF says talk of euro zone break-up is "crazy"

21:54, Tuesday 20 September 2011

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Talk of the euro zone splintering is "crazy" and European leaders need to quieten their dissonant voices which are destabilizing financial markets and threatening to tip the region back into recession, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday

and what next ..... dow drops 300 points so f/e guaranteed to follow with london opening down say 120 ... however, reflection may just take the view that several bucketsful of dosh into us economy would have been an even worse idea

Good point cynic, but even so Europe is the biggee until some relief is seen there were Fxxxd. CNCBC are rattling on about history and the last time 1961 there was a twist big rally followed, we'll see :O)

DOW on offer @11019 for the brave/stupid.

Sell sell sell, short short short

Didn't Warren Buffet say to do the opposite from the crowd?

f*** The sage

DOW looks to be going down again at the open. Currently -190'ish.

-290 ?

It was -190 when I looked at 13.25 hrs, honest! All over the place now. Grim nevertheless.

Yes dire - DOW 10,795 to buy atm!

Casino opens in 30 mins, place your bets. Those crazy yanks could do anything :O)

Closed all my shorts, indices could be a bit oversold for Friday.

God bless America, and thank you for today's huge profits.

Could O'Banana please speak next Tuesday so I have time to short everything.