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Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Gold Bounces As Traders Seek Safe Haven
Posted by FT on October 6, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 11 Comments

Hi folks,
The global credit crisis has stepped up a couple of gears over the past week; concerns over individual banks going belly up have been replaced with fears that states, and even countries, could soon be bankrupt. Equities look increasingly nervous as the Dow teeters on the brink of sub-10,000 and gold and equities go their separate ways.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 For Once, It Is Not All About The Payrolls
Posted by FT on October 3, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 13 Comments

Hi folks,
It’s a bit rich the UK government giving the Irish banks stick for tempting money away from Barclays, Lloyds et all; do they remember Northern Rock, that UK bank with high savings rates and a government guarantee? It’s all very well the Rock turning savers away yesterday, but this has been going on for months now. Yesterday’s venture into the bull’s paddock (Vix Fear Index Boosts Equities) was amusing; the FTSE Index fell 100 points while I was writing the article and a further 70 after it hit the screens.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 VIX Fear Index Boosting Equities
Posted by FT on October 2, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices by FT 17 Comments

Hi folks,
Hands up who stayed up for last night’s vote? I’d committed to a 12.30 vote, but the threatened 2-3 o’clock in the morning sent me packing. In the event going to bed was a good move as all the action had been in the run up. Today I’ve tried to address the balance of my bearish ranting with a chart that’s getting a few traders all bulled up. And look at that Dollar go; it’s screwing commodities something rotten.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Dollar Strength Continues Ahead Of Bailout (II) Vote
Posted by FT on October 1, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 8 Comments

Hi folks,
And so we await another bailout vote, and if this one goes to plan we can spend tomorrow waiting for yet another bailout vote. In the meantime the FTSE’s full of autumnal vigour. And the inconvenience of US manufacturing registering the sharpest one-month decline since 1984 hasn’t deterred traders from piling into the Dollar. I’ve been caught with an awkward position in my shorts, but consoled myself with a small profit in the forex market.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 No Bailout But No Armageddon
Posted by FT on September 30, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices by FT Comment

Hi folks,
So who stayed at their screens last night to benefit from the mother of all sell-offs? The way the vote was reported was straight from Saturday night TV, with running commentary as each vote was counted. I half expected a drum role before Ant ‘n Dec announced the final result. I made some great gains on an £8 short bet on FTSE, but saw a lot of that disappear with today’s quarter-end rally.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 European Bank Rescues Spook The Market
Posted by FT on September 29, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 17 Comments

Hi folks,
I have to admit that as a trader I made a bit of a pigs ear of this morning’s opportunities. My list of excuses is longer than the fall in Sterling but, in summary, I made a scrap from short-selling FTSE and missed out on the mammoth Dollar move all together. The various international busybodies certainly knew what was coming when they banned the shorting of financials, and it does beg the question, “Who’s next?”


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Dollar Strengthens As Bailout Talks Stall
Posted by FT on September 26, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 8 Comments

Morning folks,
A few night owls profited over-night as yesterday’s ‘done deal’ appeared to be far from done. The added flavour of WaMu going belly up saw equity markets slide back down the big fat snake to the start position. I was pre-occupied with the opening call on equities and missed the early Dollar strength, but my little Italian mate helped me to make some beer money for lunchtime.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Equities Push Higher On Bailout Talk
Posted by FT on September 25, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 9 Comments

Hi folks,
‘Bang, crash, ouch!’
I can hear the sound of heads being banged together far away in the US. In early US time there’s been an increasing level of excitement (relief) that a bailout deal will be signed, sealed and delivered by the end of the week. And it’s cost me a penny or two today after attempting one too many short bets on FTSE.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Short Ban Hasn’t Helped The Banks
Posted by FT on September 24, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies by FT 8 Comments

Hi folks,
What a dull day it’s been so far; we seem to be in a phoney war with the politicians, wary of opening new positions in case they bring in some new rescue plan. Still, I enjoyed the irony of the hedge firm, Man Group, asking to be added to the list of protected species to prevent its shares being shorted by, yes you’ve got it, hedge funds. And whilst we talking about shorting, I’m glad it’s worked so well in protecting the banks’ share prices. Since Friday’s rally HBOS shares have fallen 24%, Lloyds TSB 22%, Anglo Irish 40% and Bank of Ireland 30%. Nice one lads.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Bank-Heavy ISEQ 20 Gets Slammed
Posted by FT on September 23, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices by FT 8 Comments

Hi folks,
Early yesterday morning, before a day out of the office, I was worried that the FTSE rally could carry on a bit further (Does FTSE Have Further To Go?). But despite my concerns it just didn’t seem right buying back my short above 5300, so I left for Cambridge with the position open. And what a great way to end the day, rolling in after the close to be greeted with £600 in the profit box. Wa-hey!


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