The weekend is upon us!

A great week for the FTSE as it muscles up to the down-trend resistance line on the daily charts, what will the following week bring? Obama's victory, the rate cut and some good earnings news, can we push beyond the retrace and initiate a genuine upswing?

Let's look at the factors at work here. Despite the Fed and BOE continuing their rate cut bonanza and consistent approach in propping up the markets, the banks will still not lend to each other or you and me. They are sitting on huge reserves that they will not risk for fear of further failures and the world economy is currently hamstrung as a result.

It will be interesting to see where the markets go from here, until the banks start to loosen their purse strings I can't see much blue sky...

However, the skies over the UK are clear and the late autumn leaves are burnished and sparkling, who needs New England in the Fall? Have a walk through the Chiltern woodlands and you can drink in the beauty of the beech and oak, carpeting the lanes with gold.

I bet Gordon wishes he could scoop some of that up and replace our reserves. If I ever meet him I will ask him how the architect of the Labour Government economic miracle sold the Nation's gold at the bottom of the market. That's if I'm not wrestled to the ground for punching the smug bastard in the face first.

Anyway, at the end of my back-testing of the Neutral Zone strategy and we are looking good to go. Next week sees me jumping back into the markets so wish me discipline, focus and NO GAMBLING!

Happy Trading!

Dirk Advocado

Aha! there you are where have you been?

So we are now in the throes of the US presidential election and the markets are behaving accordingly so I have squirrelled myself a way to complete my back testing on the neutral zone trade as applied to the FTSe 100.

I have used the 0800 open and 0830 low/high as my range highs and then waited for the 08:50-9:10 swing which often then initiates the key morning move. I chose the 08:50 swing time as it seems to suit the FTSE and has proven the lowest risk/highest reward option. It may often outside the chosen range, but within 20 points or so. So, for instance, if the bottom of the range is 4100 and the top is 4170 and the swing begins at 4089 I will wait for the cross back into the range and trade to the top taking profit at resistance or sticking with it if there is still energy in the move.

Thus far the risk reward ratio is consistently in the 3:1 areas with typical moves being between 50-100 points so now to put the plan into action. WATCH THIS SPACE and good luck all those Americans rooting for their men/pitbulls. Be careful what you vote for.

Happy Trading 

Love Dirk