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

Most of the bad news is being built in and the FTSE is well oversold, there will be a large correction up soon be ready. Many good UK stocks hammered for no other reason than the Euro fear.

It's Friday and last day of the month so expect anything. Small down open for the FTSE but I am taking a chance and going long for my FTSE spreadbet today 5179 with tight trailing stop.

morning to everyone, at the rate we are falling the ftse is looking to end the month on a low.

Stopped out even before FTSE opened, wrong call i should have kept my short head on.

probaly bad news from the states today,and they'll rise. who knows with them? ftse long at 5097.not holding me breath tho!!

out for 25 pts = bored

Been long @5101 for over 2 hoursszzzzzzzzzzzz.

Sorry skinny

DOW broken 11,000 next stop 10,800

Bernard - for what?

When i posted your trade was down 30 points did you have a stop loss.

Yes - 50 - (smaller stake) its Friday - Crazy Yanks day :-)

Well done, be careful there could be a spike down near close.

5088 Phone trading only on FTSE daily something happening. No trading on the FTSE from platform.

hmmmmmmm

Friday 30 September 2011 - by Andrew Hickley

An EU-wide financial transaction tax would be harmful to both the financial sector and to corporations that rely on hedging their risks, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association has warned.

Isda argues that the levy will increase the costs for businesses of all sizes that use derivatives to manage risks that stem from interest rate, currency, credit and counterparty fluctuations.

"Isda is concerned that the FTT will ultimately increase the costs of hedging those risks," it said in a statement released on Thursday.

"We believe that managing such risks is essential for the long-term economic growth and recovery of European economies."

The trade body also questions the merits of introducing the tax, which it says will damage the capital base of banks as they prepare to implement stricter banking regulations.

"If the additional cost is simply passed on to customers, this would act as a barrier to accessing the financial markets, as well as restricting liquidity (and therefore increasing volatility) in those markets," it concludes.

On Wednesday the European Commission put forward proposals introducing an FTT across Europe in an effort to raise up to 57bn ($77bn) a year.

While derivatives trades will be taxed at a rate of 0.01 per cent, transactions of bonds, shares and other securities will be hit by a 0.1 per cent levy.

Although industry reaction has varied from lukewarm to outrage towards the measure, on Thursday British MEP Arlene McCarthy called for the UK government to properly consider the merits of introducing the tax.

far reaching consequences

hmmmmm..

Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The cost of insuring against default on European corporate debt rose, according to traders of credit-default swaps.

Contracts on the Markit iTraxx Crossover Index of 50 companies with mostly high-yield credit ratings increased four basis points to 802, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. prices at 10 a.m. in London.

The Markit iTraxx Europe Index of 125 companies with investment-grade ratings was up 1.75 at 192.75 basis points. The Markit iTraxx Financial Index linked to senior debt of 25 banks and insurers rose one basis point to 262 basis points and the subordinated index was up three at 501.

A basis point on a credit-default swap protecting 10 million euros ($13.5 million) of debt from default for five years is equivalent to 1,000 euros a year. Swaps pay the buyer face value in exchange for the underlying securities or the cash equivalent should a borrower fail to adhere to its debt agreements.

--Editor: Paul Armstrong

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Shanahan in London at Mshanahan3@bloomberg.net

whoops - europe yet again!!! another cock up on the horizon!
Friday 30th September 2011, 1:44am
EU REGULATION
DAVID CROW
THE EUROPEAN Parliament is pushing ahead with plans to ban naked credit default swaps (CDS) even though its own research has revealed the move would exacerbate market volatility.

European lawmakers are expected to back a German proposal that would ban so-called naked CDS, where a trader buys a CDS without holding the sovereign bonds in the expectation that the country will default and the insurance contract will pay out.

The European Parliament and several member states claim that naked CDS have exacerbated the Eurozone crisis by pushing up the bond yields of trouble countries like Greece and Italy.

But new research commissioned by the European Parliament reveals a ban could backfire because it would disrupt already volatile markets by reducing liquidity and prompting traders to short sovereign bonds using options and futures contracts instead.

Prohibiting naked CDS transactions, as proposed, would have detrimental effects on the liquidity Valuing credit risks will become more difficult, the German Centre for European Economic Research said in a report commissioned by the European Parliament.
.

Index Value: 10,913.38
Trade Time: 21:05
Change: 240.60 (2.16%
Worried about growth. Interesting Monday ahead. Good weekend all.

FTSE 100 Suffers Worst Quarter Since 2002

perhaps wishful thinking, but with more positive signs about the poxy greek bailout, it would not surprise me to see a good rebound on monday .... damn well need it!

I have simply no profits showing at all.....just have to wait for better times.....never thought that we'd see such a burst bubble like this...a pullback yes I was expecting that but this has been terrible so I'm just staying put and hoping for a recovery.