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

Shortie: in answer to your Q: probably around where we are now. Which is why I believe that if it breaks convincingly below it (5800), we'll be seeing a downturn - I may be wrong of course...

The focus for the DOW this afternoon will be on 'earnings from Boeing Co. and new-home-sales data'. If they're good, then perhpas Cynic will have a better day today?

it's AAPL where i really have too big a position .... keeping my fingers x-ed for tomorrow

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5675 is the danger point i was given, but that was 10 days ago and it may have moved a bit

AAPL no comment ;-)

promise i'll cuddle to comfort if i'm right :-)

Cuddle whom Cynic - do you have a big teddy bear?

USD Flash Manufacturing PMI 51.3 consensus 51.6 previous 51.1

RB results going down well - currently up 2 quid.

Draghi defends ECB bond-buy plan before German MPs

BERLIN | Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:33pm BST

Oct 24 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's new bond-purchase programme will not lead to inflation or compromise the bank's independence, ECB President Mario Draghi told German lawmakers on Wednesday in a detailed defence of his signature policy plan.

In prepared remarks for delivery at the beginning of his meeting with the lawmakers, Draghi addressed point by point their concerns about the programme - dubbed Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT).

"OMTs will not lead to disguised financing of governments ... OMTs will not compromise the independence of the ECB," he said in a statement for delivery to the lawmakers.

Just closed here from late August.

USD New Home Sales 389K consensus 386K previous 373K

Apple IPad Mini Leaves Rivals Room to Undercut Price

thanks for that article skinny ..... it looks interesting but i haven't the time to read it all for the moment ..... the pricing was clearly a trade-off between profit margins and trying to bag the bottom of the market - there never is one ...... how well the numbers will be received tomorrow is another matter, but it has already been telegraphed that sales of i-pads for Q4 will only be about 16m vs 18m forecast earlier, so that is assuredly already in the price

I think Steve Jobs was right, the iPad is a premium product and a smaller screen won't do it justice. Apple won't be taking any market share with this offering, but will probally see existing customers upgrade old iPads to the mini version rather than pay for the full size model. Not something I'd purchase, but then you never know after a play in store.

Somebody should open a store "Toys for Adults".

They already have done!

NOW I see hilary in a different light.....rock on Hils.,.

Windows 8 and the Surface tablets: The experts weigh in

Windows 8 has prompted the launch of hybrid computers which can function as a standalone tablet or be connected to a keyboard to act as a touch-enabled laptop

Windows 8 marks what is arguably the most radical tech launch of the year.

GBP Prelim GDP q/q 1.0% consensus 0.6% previous -0.4%

Local newspaper El Confidencial reports that Spain’s budget deficit will overshoot the EU 6.3% of GDP target and might hit 7.3% driven by a whopping €10.5bn deficit in social security. This suddenly takes the conditionality hurdle to be imposed on the country should it formally seek a bailout another notch higher