#FTSE #Futures After just 9 days of January, Argyll has started to produce this years quota of ridiculous. The incident was caused by me leaving my Samsung earbuds in the car, when the temperature dropped to a thrilling -5c on Thursday, then electing to listen to the stunning book by Yeonmi Park about her horrible journey, when she defected from North Vietnam. She certainly suffered but perhaps not as much as myself, when I placed the left ear bud in my ear and twisted the cold Samsung device into place. It ignored the usual long tap to wake it up, even ignored a spiteful double tap. Eventually the penny dropped about the reality of leaving an electronic device in sub-zero temperatures, nothing eats a battery faster than serious cold. When I twisted the ear piece out of my ear, the still cold rubber tip decided to remain in place, doubtless expanding to its normal size as my body temperature warmed it up.
Instinctively poking my index finger into the ear to dig the thing out, it refused to budge, perhaps instead opting to curl away from my searching finger like a guilty puppy hiding under a chair. Perhaps I had even pushed it further into the ear canal but plan B was making dinner, so I could wait. When we finished dinner, my wife tried to grab the thing with tweezers, failing utterly but promised to try again before bed. At 10pm, she dug out a pair of tweezers with needle dips, deciding she could probably poke a hole in the rubber donut to get purchase. For amusement sake and to test my pain reflex, she also decided to pluck a couple of long hairs from the ear!
By 11pm, she gave up and admitted the rubber tip was now further into my ear than she’d thought possible. Perhaps I should go to the local hospital?
Of course, instead I started working on the (confusing) futures markets, working on the basis A&E might experience an “after pubs” rush at 11pm. It transpires, here in Argyll, that isn’t the case. Plus my left ear was in utter agony, making the idea of professionals poking around with it quite abhorrent.
Arriving at midnight to an empty car park, energy saving lights at the A&E entrance and the ground a solid white from frost, the nurse on duty at A&E asked me to complete the inevitable form, asking if I wanted a cup of tea while waiting. My immediate joke about an expected 10 hour delay fell flat but the cuppa made the agony of completing a “medical history” section easier to handle. Literally the moment I completed the Blue form, a doctor appeared and took the clipboard, asking me to follow him to an examination room. The nurse from reception followed, both trying to conceal their amusement at the potentials of an “older bloke with something stuck inside his body” joke. An inevitable amount of poking into my left ear ensued until they admitted defeat.
But of course, this is Argyll and there were two doctors on A&E duty. So a 2nd bored doctor appeared and asked if she could have a go as she’d a gadget she wanted to try. It was essentially a spotlight, a pair of crocodile clips, and a TV camera all built into the end of a straw. Literally 10 seconds later, the offending Samsung component was retrieved, leaving me free to return home. In this day and age, a good news story from A&E would be avoided by the media, a zero minute waiting time failing to make a decent headline.
There’s an obvious simile between the story above and the FTSE. Unfortunately, we’ve no idea what it is! But will admit to making the decision to ditch the expensive Samsung ear buds in favour of a good old fashioned single side headset, ensuring one ear is always able to listen to what’s going on around..
For the FTSE, above 8,324 points currently calculates with a pretty confident looking 8,348 points with our longer term secondary, should such a level be exceeded, working out at an extraordinary 8,395 points. If triggered, the calculated stop loss level is absurdly wide at 8,264 points. However, we’re not inclined to anticipate a quick visit to our third level of 8,462 points but arithmetically, it’s difficult to discount such an ambition in the coming weeks.
Our inevitable converse scenario allows for weakness below 8,279 to bring reversals down to an initial 8,245 with our secondary, if broken, a less likely 8,177 points.
Have a good weekend, hopefully warmer than in Argyll.
FUTURES
FUTURES
| Time Issued | Market | Price At Issue | Short Entry | Fast Exit | Slow Exit | Stop | Long Entry | Fast Exit | Slow Exit | Stop | Prior |
| 2:35:26AM | BRENT | 7702.9 | 7676 | 7660 | 7715 | 7730 | 7842 | 7595 | |||
| 2:44:00AM | GOLD | 2672.82 | 2661 | 2653 | 2668 | 2676 | 2681 | 2665 | |||
| 2:48:17AM | FTSE | 8303.8 | 8243 | 8217 | 8280 | 8311 | 8330 | 8304 | Success | ||
| 2:50:51AM | STOX50 | 5013.7 | 4956 | 4940 | 4990 | 5025 | 5046 | 4993 | |||
| 2:53:15AM | GERMANY | 20327.2 | 20238 | 20192 | 20331 | 20370 | 20421 | 20301 | |||
| 3:46:46AM | US500 | 5896.9 | 5886 | 5857 | 5900 | 5913 | 5928 | 5886 | ‘cess | ||
| 3:56:40AM | DOW | 42533 | 42430 | 42397 | 42527 | 42655 | 42709 | 42555 | |||
| 4:02:10AM | NASDAQ | 21128 | 21006 | 20945 | 21136 | 21206 | 21314 | 21082 | |||
| 4:05:14AM | JAPAN | 39200 | 39241 | 39109 | 39333 | 39442 | 23787 | 39321 | ‘cess |
9/01/2025 FTSE Closed at 8319 points. Change of 11.63%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,511,068,613 a change of -13.81%
8/01/2025 FTSE Closed at 7452 points. Change of -9.62%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 6,394,228,390 a change of 16.2%
7/01/2025 FTSE Closed at 8245 points. Change of -0.05%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,502,690,636 a change of 7.78%
6/01/2025 FTSE Closed at 8249 points. Change of 0.32%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,105,577,084 a change of -3.75%
3/01/2025 FTSE Closed at 8223 points. Change of 0.61%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,304,674,170 a change of 278.32%
31/12/2024 FTSE Closed at 8173 points. Change of 0.64%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 1,402,162,545 a change of -42.6%
30/12/2024 FTSE Closed at 8121 points. Change of -100%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 2,442,888,350 a change of 0% 
SUCCESS above means both FAST & SLOW targets were met. ‘CESS means just the FAST target met and probably the next time it is exceeded, movement to the SLOW target shall commence.
Our commentary is in two sections. Immediately below are today’s updated comments. If our commentary remains valid, the share can be found in the bottom section which has a RED heading. Hopefully, this will mean you no longer need to flip back through previous reports. HYPERLINKS DISABLED IN THIS VERSION
Please remember, all prices are mid-price (halfway between the Buy and Sell). When we refer to a price CLOSING above a specific level, we are viewing the point where we can regard a trend as changing. Otherwise, we are simply speculating on near term trading targets. Our website is www.trendsandtargets.com.
UPDATE. We often give an initial and a secondary price. If the initial is exceeded, we still expect it to fall back but the next time the initial is bettered, the price should continue to the secondary. The converse it true with price drops.
We can be contacted at info@trendsandtargets.com. Spam filters set to maximum so only legit emails get through…
Section One – Outlook Updated Today. Click here for Section Two – Outlook Remains Valid shares
Click Epic to jump to share: LSE:BME B & M** **LSE:CAR Carclo** **LSE:CPI Capita** **LSE:GRG Greggs** **LSE:HIK Hikma** **LSE:HSBA HSBC** **LSE:IAG British Airways** **LSE:OCDO Ocado Plc** **LSE:PHP Primary Health** **LSE:RKH Rockhopper** **LSE:SDY Speedyhire** **LSE:SMT Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust** **LSE:STAN Standard Chartered** **LSE:TW. Taylor Wimpey** **
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Updated charts published on : B & M, Carclo, Capita, Greggs, Hikma, HSBC, British Airways, Ocado Plc, Primary Health, Rockhopper, Speedyhire, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, Standard Chartered, Taylor Wimpey,
LSE:BME B & M Close Mid-Price: 318.9 Percentage Change: -8.52% Day High: 323.8 Day Low: 299.8
Target met. Continued weakness against BME taking the price below 299.8 c ……..
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View Previous B & M & Big Picture ***
LSE:CAR Carclo Close Mid-Price: 23.3 Percentage Change: -3.32% Day High: 24 Day Low: 22.8
Weakness on Carclo below 22.8 will invariably lead to 20.3 with secondary ……..
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View Previous Carclo & Big Picture ***
LSE:CPI Capita Close Mid-Price: 13.2 Percentage Change: -0.75% Day High: 13.36 Day Low: 13.16
Continued weakness against CPI taking the price below 13.16 calculates as ……..
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View Previous Capita & Big Picture ***
LSE:GRG Greggs Close Mid-Price: 2210 Percentage Change: -15.84% Day High: 2508 Day Low: 2230
If Greggs experiences continued weakness below 2230, it will invariably l ……..
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View Previous Greggs & Big Picture ***
LSE:HIK Hikma. Close Mid-Price: 2062 Percentage Change: + 2.38% Day High: 2064 Day Low: 2016
All Hikma needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 2064 to improve acceleration t ……..
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View Previous Hikma & Big Picture ***
LSE:HSBA HSBC. Close Mid-Price: 802.5 Percentage Change: + 1.43% Day High: 802.1 Day Low: 790.1
Further movement against HSBC ABOVE 802.1 should improve acceleration tow ……..
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View Previous HSBC & Big Picture ***
LSE:IAG British Airways. Close Mid-Price: 312.8 Percentage Change: + 1.96% Day High: 313.7 Day Low: 306.5
Continued trades against IAG with a mid-price ABOVE 313.7 should improve ……..
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View Previous British Airways & Big Picture ***
LSE:OCDO Ocado Plc Close Mid-Price: 279 Percentage Change: -3.96% Day High: 287.5 Day Low: 271.4
Target met. Weakness on Ocado Plc below 271.4 will invariably lead to 248 ……..
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View Previous Ocado Plc & Big Picture ***
LSE:PHP Primary Health Close Mid-Price: 87.65 Percentage Change: -0.96% Day High: 87.65 Day Low: 85.4
Target met. Continued weakness against PHP taking the price below 85.4 ca ……..
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View Previous Primary Health & Big Picture ***
LSE:RKH Rockhopper. Close Mid-Price: 34.4 Percentage Change: + 13.16% Day High: 35 Day Low: 30.1
All Rockhopper needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 35 to improve acceleratio ……..
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View Previous Rockhopper & Big Picture ***
LSE:SDY Speedyhire Close Mid-Price: 27.3 Percentage Change: -1.97% Day High: 27.9 Day Low: 27
In the event Speedyhire experiences weakness below 27 it calculates with ……..
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View Previous Speedyhire & Big Picture ***
LSE:SMT Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Close Mid-Price: 988.2 Percentage Change: -0.30% Day High: 996.2 Day Low: 987.6
In the event of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust enjoying further trade ……..
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View Previous Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust & Big Picture ***
LSE:STAN Standard Chartered. Close Mid-Price: 1014 Percentage Change: + 0.65% Day High: 1017 Day Low: 1000
Target met. All Standard Chartered needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 1017 ……..
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View Previous Standard Chartered & Big Picture ***
LSE:TW. Taylor Wimpey. Close Mid-Price: 111.55 Percentage Change: + 1.18% Day High: 111.7 Day Low: 106.8
In the event Taylor Wimpey experiences weakness below 106.8 it calculates ……..
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View Previous Taylor Wimpey & Big Picture ***