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

Can't believe the FTSE is down after such a stonking day yesterday from the DOW. British reserve and modesty I assume?

Manufacturing PMI 47.6 consensus 47.1.

Bank of England governor has warned of possible break up of eurozone. Told banks to not pay bonuses and hang on to cash. More storms on the way. Very serious.

Spreading round the world now.

Presumably this is the make or break week for the Euro? A positive resolution from Angela & friends (or maybe that should be subordinates) should see a mighty bounce up in world markets. Some of my stocks mught even get back into profit!! Conversely................doom & gloom.

FTSE 100 'could fall to 4,700'



{ Rachel Cooper, 20:32, Monday 5 December 2011

Mounting hopes that European leaders are nearing a resolution to the eurozone debt crisis has sparked a spike in shattered markets, but Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - news) strategists warned that a tough few months could lie ahead for the FTSE 100 (Euronext: VFTSE.NX - news) .

The benchmark index clinched its biggest weekly rise in almost three years on Friday, but the broker said that it expected equities to fall over the next three months and recover "at some point" in the second half of next year.

Within three months, Goldman believes that the blue-chips could sink to 4,700 before climbing back to 5,400 within six months' time and rallying to 5,800 by the end of 2012.

dreamcatcher,
Can you tell us your current positons? Do you have your shorts still open?

Halifax HPI -0.9%

what is HPI?

House Price Index - released by the Halifax.

Thanks. I think Nationwide's is more important.

Yes - but they weren't released today :-)

This link is quite useful for upcoming statements.

The cascade effect :-)

What period is that over Skinny?

1 day - quite a battle at 5,000 atm.

I thank you -):

Number of people filing for initial unemployment benefits falls to a 9-month low of 381,000 in the latest week, government says.
.... hence jump in cash dow which may or may not follow through

Its very jittery out there.

On edit - a hundred off the futures just like that!

cameron
personally, i am delighted he took a lesson from mrs t and stood up to the brussels gravy-train, and seemingly a decent majority of the country also agree ..... labour and lib-dem politicians can whine and worse as much as they like, but clearly they do not read the electorate properly.

if brussels ultimately backs down re cameron's demands, then he is at liberty to reconsider the position .... however, if he had kow-towed, there would be no such option

12,000 looking decidedly vulnerable.