#FTSE #GOLD With some despair, we now get to enjoy the last Bank Holiday weekend until Christmas, reflecting on just how fast this year has been moving. Suddenly, we’re at the point where it is only 125 days until Christmas 2025, the FTSE having experienced a gain of 13% since the start of this year, and wondering just where all this largesse vanished. After all, the UK is apparently a financial mess despite the best efforts of the chancellor, “Rachel from Accounts”. There is broad agreement the government is working hard to smother adverse comment, reaching levels which North American politicians find reprehensible. And planned for Autumn are a series of strikes from The Tube, from bus services, even GP’s joining the fun while junior doctors in the NHS are planning a walkout, presumably to join with nurses who’ve rejected a derisory pay offer. Meanwhile, Birmingham remains an active rubbish dump.
To cap all the misery, the follow up to Sex and The City has been cancelled, “Just Like That” retiring and the show title once again returning to the clutches of Paul Daniels(/) legacy. It’s probably unfair to say this but the bloke was once booked for a corporate thing, doing his act after a sumptuous dinner. He wasn’t very good, perhaps more suited to a career of telly where they could redo things. My favourite entertainer at a corporate shindig was Jack Douglas, famed for his “Carry On” performances. The guy was dangerously funny, yet could command every second of the audiences attention! My own father probably holds some kind of record for success at motor industry corporate shindigs, managing to meet Sean Connery and Eric Morecambe at different events, playing golf with them in the days following and ensuring, as children, we were dragged to Majorca for holidays where he golfed with his chums.
As for the FTSE, last week we speculated on 9298 points, the FTSE achieving it on Wednesday and even closing Thursday at 9309 points. Our suspicion is this shall become a flutter level until September kicks off, 9298 becoming a fictitious point which the market shall flutter above and below until the grown ups return from their holidays. However, in a cowardly admission, it’s now the case where above 9310 risks propelling the UK to 9350 next, almost certainly a problem level as our secondary is now 9728 points. This would be once heck of a jump from our 9350 level, perhaps attainable if “Rachel from Accounts” vanishes and someone competent is given the position. Or maybe she will invent a wizard idea, something like charging each illegal migrant £1 million points, their labour indentured until the debt is paid off. That way, she could invent a viable slave economy, a step below the minimum wage concept, along with creating an entirely fictitious debt to balance the books. Simple but a little distasteful. Heck, most people don’t have chimneys they could send children up to clean.
If things decide to go pear shaped before September brings the chill wind of winter, below 9260 risks promoting reversal to an initial 9206 with our secondary, if broken, at 9171 points and a return to the price levels at the very start of the holiday season. This would be a complete surprise, again.
Have a good weekend, only another few days until the Grand Prix season kicks off.
FUTURES
FUTURES
| Time Issued | Market | Price At Issue | Short Entry | Fast Exit | Slow Exit | Stop | Long Entry | Fast Exit | Slow Exit | Stop | Prior |
| 10:56:03PM | BRENT | 6703.1 | 6626 | 6583 | 6682 | 6714 | 6734 | 6627 | ‘cess | ||
| 10:57:59PM | GOLD | 3339.54 | 3325 | 3316 | 3342 | 3348 | 3359 | 3335 | |||
| 10:59:56PM | FTSE | 9319.5 | 9256 | 9229 | 9282 | 9324 | 9337 | 9295 | |||
| 11:02:28PM | STOX50 | 5464.4 | 5437 | 5424 | 5454 | 5466 | 5474 | 5456 | Shambles | ||
| 11:15:02PM | GERMANY | 24297.5 | 24230 | 24208 | 24277 | 24307 | 24353 | 24267 | |||
| 11:18:04PM | US500 | 6378.8 | 6352 | 6346 | 6374 | 6400 | 6412 | 6380 | |||
| 11:20:13PM | DOW | 44841.4 | 44571 | 44380 | 44775 | 44951 | 45099 | 44846 | Shambles | ||
| 11:23:09PM | NASDAQ | 23174.3 | 23044 | 22996 | 23135 | 23290 | 23377 | 23207 | |||
| 11:25:46PM | JAPAN | 42705 | 42505 | 42163 | 42683 | 42754 | 42868 | 42623 |
21/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9309 points. Change of 0.23%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 3,702,661,970 a change of -40.14%
20/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9288 points. Change of 1.08%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 6,185,994,315 a change of -5.2%
19/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9189 points. Change of 0.35%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 6,525,328,498 a change of 36.03%
18/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9157 points. Change of 0.21%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 4,796,925,972 a change of -21.07%
15/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9138 points. Change of -0.42%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 6,077,567,012 a change of 24.32%
14/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9177 points. Change of 0.13%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 4,888,645,281 a change of -12.34%
13/08/2025 FTSE Closed at 9165 points. Change of 0.2%. Total value traded through LSE was: £ 5,576,963,719 a change of 12.35% 
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:BBY BALFOUR BEATTY** **LSE:NWG Natwest** **LSE:SPX Spirax** **
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Updated charts published on : BALFOUR BEATTY, Natwest, Spirax,
LSE:BBY BALFOUR BEATTY. Close Mid-Price: 583 Percentage Change: + 1.57% Day High: 584 Day Low: 573.5
Further movement against BALFOUR BEATTY ABOVE 584 should improve accelera ……..
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View Previous BALFOUR BEATTY & Big Picture ***
LSE:NWG Natwest. Close Mid-Price: 562.8 Percentage Change: + 1.63% Day High: 563.4 Day Low: 553.8
Further movement against Natwest ABOVE 563.4 should improve acceleration ……..
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View Previous Natwest & Big Picture ***
LSE:SPX Spirax. Close Mid-Price: 7250 Percentage Change: + 0.42% Day High: 7270 Day Low: 7195
Further movement against Spirax ABOVE 7270 should improve acceleration to ……..
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View Previous Spirax & Big Picture ***