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

i see the american pundits are piling on the gloom about the eurozone

Possibly just driving down the markets cynic, so that the DOW can rebound and they can cash in their profits. I read somewhere that the expectations of the EU Summit are so low, that any positive indications will be welcome and send the markets rocketing!

That was some leap - DOW currently @12,584. FTSE showing 5,525.

and now just broken back through 12600, so perhaps even heading to finish +

Mistress T .... sure glad i'm off to provence on hol tomorrow ..... frazzled brain (not market related) so will do lots of walking in les alpilles

UK banks braced for new mis-selling scandal

LONDON | Thu Jun 28, 2012 7:42pm BST

(Reuters) - The Financial Services Authority will announce on Friday it has found evidence banks mis-sold interest rate swaps to protect companies against a rise in borrowing costs, a source familiar with the situation said.

Perhaps time to nationalize the banks. They are just getting a joke.

.

Tomorrow nice open

Sorry to be rude, but when has a nationalised industry ever been good for the company or the country? Letting politicians run the banking system would open up the whole industry to manipulation and corruption (even worse than currently experienced). Regulation and agressive scrutineering should be the norm, with prison for those found to be corrupt, but not political control, imo.

audacius goal but I dont see that happen,rats races, people still greedy, too many hands involved.

The system is not working at the moment re the banks. Bit late the policing now Harry.
Sorry to say but the FSA are a joke as well. As I have always said they jump to it, when its to late. The whole banking system needs rethinking. Not the time for this to wreck the banks now. At the end of the day who do you think pay the fines etc ?
The savers and borrowers. The government and authorities have had years to nip this in the bud. What are they afraid of ? Perhaps the bankers packing their bags . If legislation across all countries was put in place they cannot. Bankers are in three
words ''out of control''.

Yes, I agree that the FSA are toothless and the policing is weak, but how do you police the politicians when they are running the banks? I stand by my statement that nationalising the banks would lead to such a blurring of duties that the system would be answerable to no one.

Sorry Harry, added a bit more . You are to fast. :-))

Perhaps re thinking then. A can of worms is going to be uncovered in the next few months. Will sentences be given ? The top man if things get to heavy will walk away.
The banking system cannot go on like this.

..Bob Diamond will receive £20 million if he resigns

By Harry Wilson | Telegraph – 35 minutes ago

Laughing all the way to the bank (have to excuse the pun)

...will walk away.. with nice gold shake..again and again.. people loosing their minds when huge money can be hug quietly..

Agree tomasz. when you have a contract worth that money you are pretty safe. Ok I will resign then with a £20 million cheque. What a joke. Perhaps if found guilty or he knew
about this, he should be fired with no golden hand shake.

Eurozone agrees on bank recapitalisation

EU leaders have agreed to use the eurozone's bailout fund to support struggling banks directly, without adding to government debt.

Speaking after 13 hours of talks in Brussels', EU chief Herman van Rompuy also said a eurozone-wide supervisory body for banks would be created.

Officials said the plans could be finalised during July.

Analysts say Germany appears to have given ground after pressure from Spain and Italy to provide more support.

(close to) triple digit gain likely at least at the open

======================

Eurozone leaders have a struck a deal opening the door for its rescue funds to help bring down borrowing costs of nations in trouble and directly recapitalise banks.
EU President Herman Van Rompuy said the eurozone would make a more "flexible" use of the rescue pot in order "to reassure markets and to get again some stability around the sovereign bonds of our member states".

Had a small short @5,602 Hmmmm.