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

have just opened a short of FTSE at 5674.5 .... 5675 is meant to be a support, but i cannot see that holding on monday morning with Dow closing at 11890

Cynic from your recent posts it sounds like you would be in consideration as NUFC manager!

I know you lot are all shorting but from my point of vue...I need this bear market to end !

It wouldn't surprise me to see a bounce. I've noticed an interesting pattern repeat on the FTSE chart which suggests the possibility anyway. Bounce or not I think you'll see 5000 before too long, and then lower still over the next few years. I've no doubt people will continue (misguided) in the belief that the Fed and Co. can still make a difference. Personally I think this mess is way beyond any kind of rescue by now. All we need next is a collapse in commodity demand (or at least a bursting of the speculative bubble) .......

In my humble opinion.....

Strawbs
Watching from the sidelines......

On a long term view, see it as a good buying opertunity... wider market holding up so far, expect 250/350 to catch up...

It could be an even better buying oppertunity in around 18 months time...although probably longer than that.... ;-)

Follow the trend and wait for the first higher high before you start to buy.........

In my opinion anyway. :-)

Strawbs.

might be a better footie manager than backing the right index direction in the last couple of days ..... (almost) a total tosser though alleviated some pain by the odd correct call and would be very surprised indeeed if my FTSE short does not bear fruit

Bought some sugar yesterday. Recent 10% drop chart turning up, well so far anyway. Increasing Asian sweet tooth, cutting of eu subsidies for sugarbeet, high crude prices meaning Brazil shifts more sugar production to automobile use, questionable efficacy of sugarfree products and the usual rough weather and higher production input costs. Next Fed decision on March 18th. officially though no telling when they might next step in!

did you buy milk and coffee too?

I'm pleased to see the pain you suffered on the dow hasn't dented your sense of humour Cynic - and hope the pain will soon pass also.

Having played with my IG demo account, I went 'live' on Friday and nearly scared myself to death on the dow as it suddenly turned in the wrong direction! Luckily it came back and I made the tiniest profit. Will have a look at what the FTSE has been doing before Monday opening.

Couldn't afford milk and coffee. How about Brian Ashton's job cynic? Sure to be a vacancy soon.

no kidding .... what a totally inept display by both sides .... awful game and wales/ireland was little better

All the equities i bought after the drop in August failed to recover to a point were I would sell, and thats before this set back so guess ill be holding for at least 12 months if not longer. At least my shorts running until March might start baring fruits. Don't expect a rebound next week, I know that Merrill's results will be truely awful and far worse than wall street is expecting. With margin calls picking up pace and commercial paper being offloaded at up to 90% discount to book expect more domino's to fall next week.

Had a domino's last night, lovely jubbly...

I think the next domino could be me. The intraday move up in oil has put we out a 5 figure sum. I am going to do the irresponsible thing, switch off the computer - go to bed and then probably wake up bankrupt. Hey ho

str* .... sorry to hear you backed the wrong horse .... very easily done .... however, the momentum of oil is against you and must surely remain or at least be inclined that way so long as $ remains so weak

not sure how critical 11800 may be, but am watching to see iof Dow breaks down through that too ..... prob no serious support until 11635 or thereabouts, but a hefty bounce is also not out of the question

Cynic this has gone way beyond a weak $ story otherwise the $ would be 0.5 to the Euro. Nothing but a speculation bubble, especially as the so called Geo Political issues in South American underpinning price have receded. This will will burn alot of people. Certainly i will not be one of them and so will avoid coughing up the margin and take the loss on the chin, albeit a bloody big one.

$107 may or may not be sustainable in the medium/long term ..... but certainly in terms of SAR oil is not excessively expensive, nor even to eurozone .... it is primarily or even only (but an important only it has to be said) the oil-greedy US that suffers

Orgy of speculation ! to think I closed out my oil long hedge this morning before going out for a 20 point profit! I know how you feel storeysj, bloody Mondays at least the roof didn't get ripped off the house by the storm!