#Brent #Nasdaq Stage Fright manifests in strange ways, not least of which being the state of the FTSE. The UK market has comprehensively moved above its prior high of 8908 points and is now fluttering in the breeze, just awaiting an updraft to get it moving properly. My own experience with Stage Fright was rather more vivid, my name called at the high school assembly one Friday morning. I’d apparently won a National Award for something I’d no knowledge of being entered for, and was to make my way on stage to receive a trophy and a cheque! Manoeuvring past an entire school determined to trip me, almost running up the stairs to the stage, the top step caught me, a spectacular nosedive following to the headmasters feet. Unlike with Frodo or Harry Potter, neither a magic ring or invisibility cloak was available and the sound of laughter still resonates in my ears. The headmaster pulled me upright, made a show of dusting my shoulders, and asked for a few words about the award and win.
At this point, an important discovery loomed, one which probably shaped my life. Furious at being laughed at, furious about the lack of warning, and furious about being clumsy, I let rip at the laughing morons taking pleasure in someone else’s discomfort. Then a doze of acidic complements was poured over the teachers who’d placed me in this position, questioning just what they expected from a 13 year old’s speech. After successfully alienating the entire school and teaching staff, the headmaster grabbed the microphone before any commentary started on the janitorial staff and their lack of care about the carpet up to the stage. Essentially, I learned I do not suffer from stage fright and should never, ever, be allowed to speak in public when angry. Amusingly, when winning the same award a year later, before the school assembly award ceremony I was seated at the side of the stage and ready to walk on, curtsey and smile, and accept a little pat on the head. Never again did that high school trust me holding a microphone!
So, the question is, shall the FTSE trip on the current top step, only to run off-stage, or shall it continue onward? There’s a bigger problem looming as the index is now in the holiday season, just days away from the utter boredom of August where it risks the index bouncing from around 8900 points to 9000 points while it pretends being useful, despite everyone being at Butlins for their annual vacation month, a month which has somehow become around 6 weeks long stretching from July through to the first week of September.
Obviously we’re being very cynical but the feeling of the UK market suggests we may be about to see the start of a “Santa Rally”, one which shall commence sometime in October and last until the year end. It is probably worth remembering the FTSE has moved from a low of 7500 back in April to a recent 9000 points, a fairly remorseless 20% rise over a four month period. The situation now is of a demand the FTSE close a session above 9017 points to signal the next climbing cycle is commencing.
This is interesting, because from a near term perspective, above 8996 points should now signal the possibility of movement to an initial 9052 points with our secondary, if beaten, at 9075 points. Either ambition certainly gives the FTSE sufficient excuse to close above 9017 and thus trigger some Big Picture potentials. In this scenario, the tightest stop loss level is quite attractive at 8950 points.
Our alternate scenario allows weakness below 8950 risking triggering reversal to an initial 8914 with our secondary, if broken, at 8890 and a possible bounce.
In summary, the story with the FTSE is about at transparent as the current debate about Epstein from the USA media.
FUTURES
FUTURES
| Time Issued | Market | Price At Issue | Short Entry | Fast Exit | Slow Exit | Stop | Long Entry | Fast Exit | Slow Exit | Stop | Prior |
| 9:19:23PM | BRENT | 6895.7 | 6768 | 6717 | 6654 | 6840 | 6906 | 6923 | 6974 | 6856 | Shambles |
| 9:21:09PM | GOLD | 3338.97 | |||||||||
| 9:23:26PM | FTSE | 8983.5 | |||||||||
| 9:44:43PM | STOX50 | 5383.5 | ‘cess | ||||||||
| 9:47:02PM | GERMANY | 24404.7 | ‘cess | ||||||||
| 9:49:58PM | US500 | 6302.6 | ‘cess | ||||||||
| 10:14:19PM | DOW | 44512.5 | ‘cess | ||||||||
| 10:17:00PM | NASDAQ | 23092 | 22867 | 22821 | 22726 | 22986 | 23109 | 23159 | 23323 | 23026 | ‘cess |
| 10:19:12PM | JAPAN | 40066 |
17/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8972 points. Change of 0.52%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 4,503,178,257 a change of -5.51%
16/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8926 points. Change of -0.13%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 4,765,608,248 a change of -10.27%
15/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8938 points. Change of -0.67%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,311,247,266 a change of 37.8%
14/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8998 points. Change of 0.64%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 3,854,245,348 a change of -14.23%
11/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8941 points. Change of -0.38%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 4,493,815,888 a change of -13.23%
10/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8975 points. Change of 1.22%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,178,779,712 a change of 11.73%
9/07/2025 FTSE Closed at 8867 points. Change of 0.15%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 4,635,239,933 a change of -8.59% 
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:BARC Barclays** **LSE:EXPN Experian** **LSE:LLOY Lloyds Grp.** **LSE:OPG OPG Power Ventures** **LSE:RKH Rockhopper** **LSE:RR. Rolls Royce** **LSE:SFOR S4 Capital** **LSE:SMT Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust** **LSE:STAN Standard Chartered** **LSE:TSCO Tesco** **
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Updated charts published on : Barclays, Experian, Lloyds Grp., OPG Power Ventures, Rockhopper, Rolls Royce, S4 Capital, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, Standard Chartered, Tesco,
LSE:BARC Barclays. Close Mid-Price: 351.2 Percentage Change: + 2.51% Day High: 352 Day Low: 343.7
Target met. All Barclays needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 352 to improve ……..
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View Previous Barclays & Big Picture ***
LSE:EXPN Experian. Close Mid-Price: 4059 Percentage Change: + 1.37% Day High: 4072 Day Low: 4018
All Experian needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 4072 to improve acceleratio ……..
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View Previous Experian & Big Picture ***
LSE:LLOY Lloyds Grp.. Close Mid-Price: 78.2 Percentage Change: + 2.36% Day High: 78.94 Day Low: 77.7
In the event of Lloyds Grp. enjoying further trades beyond 78.94, the sha ……..
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View Previous Lloyds Grp. & Big Picture ***
LSE:OPG OPG Power Ventures. Close Mid-Price: 8.5 Percentage Change: + 1.19% Day High: 8.55 Day Low: 8.45
Continued trades against OPG with a mid-price ABOVE 8.55 should improve t ……..
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View Previous OPG Power Ventures & Big Picture ***
LSE:RKH Rockhopper. Close Mid-Price: 65.4 Percentage Change: + 4.47% Day High: 65.4 Day Low: 61.6
Target met. Continued trades against RKH with a mid-price ABOVE 65.4 shou ……..
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View Previous Rockhopper & Big Picture ***
LSE:RR. Rolls Royce. Close Mid-Price: 1010 Percentage Change: + 2.19% Day High: 1009.5 Day Low: 985.4
Target met. Continued trades against RR. with a mid-price ABOVE 1009.5 sh ……..
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View Previous Rolls Royce & Big Picture ***
LSE:SFOR S4 Capital. Close Mid-Price: 22.65 Percentage Change: + 0.67% Day High: 23.2 Day Low: 21.8
If S4 Capital experiences continued weakness below 21.8, it will invariab ……..
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View Previous S4 Capital & Big Picture ***
LSE:SMT Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. Close Mid-Price: 1067.5 Percentage Change: + 1.62% Day High: 1072 Day Low: 1060
All Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 1 ……..
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View Previous Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust & Big Picture ***
LSE:STAN Standard Chartered. Close Mid-Price: 1333 Percentage Change: + 2.22% Day High: 1349.5 Day Low: 1315.5
All Standard Chartered needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 1349.5 to improve ……..
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View Previous Standard Chartered & Big Picture ***
LSE:TSCO Tesco. Close Mid-Price: 412.1 Percentage Change: + 1.10% Day High: 412.8 Day Low: 408.1
Target met. All Tesco needs are mid-price trades ABOVE 412.8 to improve a ……..
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View Previous Tesco & Big Picture ***