It's quite bizarre but half-term is next week for us. I know for most people it's during the week after, bank holiday week. Anyway the upshot is we have all kinds of things planned and not planned. Don't know why our school has it a week early but it does. So there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is forgive me but the website has a rest next week and I'll be back as usual the week after.

However I'll still be around and about and will be answering emails etc in between half-term antics.

A lot depends on the weather - we have ideas of an open air lido for one of the days. Visits to friends in the country maybe.

Even, a very big if, as I have lots of BA points a sudden day or two visit to France if the weather is bad. We could do anything and everything! The beauty of not having a job.

However it's a good forecast for this week and not so good during what should have been half-term week. Phew. So we hope for a very good time whatever we do and wherever we go.

Oh, do enjoy the May Bank Holiday and I hope it shines on you all.

Oh no. I have agreed to go camping. I hate camping. I like 5 star hotels. I never even liked camping as a child. Sorry about that.

Fiddling with tents, sleeping in a field. Being bitten by bugs. I don't get it when I could be in a nice bedroom in luxury. And whenever I've been forced to camp I couldn't wait to get home.

The worst one was when my parents sent me camping with school not realising it was a "Christian" camp.

They tried to brainwash me with God things the whole week but I remained, as I do now, a devout Atheist-Lite. Shall I start an atheist lite school under this new Government? Would I get any takers or perhaps would they just find it too difficult to make up their minds?

Anyway this camping is not as we know it. We booked into Camp Bestival - a live music festival majoring on families with Madness the star attraction sometime in July.

The camping part shouldn't be too bad though.. I paid through the nose for a massive tent which will already be erected with beds inside. Not really camping? Well, let's say I'm acting like the current Government. It's all about compromise.

I am looking forwards to it especially as we have friends with other kids going too. Going to be a laugh and it'll be fun at the Madness Gig. You'll read all about it in the summer, probably endlessly.

The aged cat (around 100) now needs 6-7 meals a day. As she is knocking on 100 in human years and been with me more than 20, she can have what she likes!

She seems to like other things except cat food. Bread and butter, victoria sponge cake and cupcakes are among her favourites.

And guess what... after watching me for years scoff tea and toast all the time, she's on the case.

She likes a nice saucer of weak tea and some toast and butter. And I think she's enjoying old age (well the hour she is awake and eating).

Advfn's head honcho Clem Chambers has published a new book which I just finished - called "The Twain Maxim", it's a follow up to the entertaining "Armageddon Trade" which I enjoyed last year.

Traders should love it like I did. Especially those of you into the smaller mining stocks. Part of the story involves a broker disappearing after investigating a "dodgy" listed mining company's drilling area.

We're reunited with star chart trader Jim from the first book in which his charts told him shares were shortly to go to zero (which appears to be happening in real life right now!)

It's another page turning financial thriller. There are some excellent new characters - the best of which is a lowlife mining promoter who does anything he can to get investors to buy into rubbish mining stocks.

Now throw in various warring parties close to a volatile volcano and the book erupts into a thrilling climax. Wouldn't want to give too much else away except I loved the Doombas, automated killing machines which don't quite do what they should.

So for some thrilling action, stock market dastardly-doings, share shenanigans and a rip-roaring ending, it's a buy!

To get The Twain Maxim, just hit amazon.co.uk and search for it, or for Clem Chambers. If you didn't read Clem's first financial thriller "The Armageddon Trade" you can get that here:

http://books.global-investor.com/books/435949.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

Might be worth reading that first though The Twain Maxim is a great read on its tod.

Thanks for all the nice feedback regarding last week's seminar that is still coming in. Looking back on it, it was very enjoyable. Just great to meet such a cross-range of interesting people. And glad some of the tools I showed you to use is already a help.
If you didn't get the notes I send out over the weekend please let me know - you should all have had those including what happened if you left early.
If you missed out on this seminar the next one is not too far off on Friday June 25th at Heathrow. As you can imagine at this seminar I'll also be looking at how to cope in volatile markets such as now.

If you're interested in details on that one, mail me with "June seminar interested" in the subject line at robbiethetrader@aol.com.

There is a decent early booking discount!

I'll then send you details and a full agenda of what is covered. Also more details below somewhere.

My seminars are designed for beginners, dabblers and improvers and deals with everything from how to look for winners, how to research, spreadbetting, level 2 use how to time trades and short, how to use advfn properly and run your portfolio without having to spend money on systems and tipsters.. and tons more.
A lot of the day comes directly from the live markets and I show you many of the tricks I use to get good prices live. And there might even be the odd live trade or 2!
Those of you who've been to one of my seminars before or you are experienced and want to join a small group for a seminar based on simple Technical Analysis hosted by myself and top trader Susan on Saturday June 5th mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "TA seminar interested" in the subject line. Good for any of you wanting to get into TA. - if it's like the last one should be brilliant.
The number of emails to me is nearly reaching saturation point and I'm struggling! I'm getting 100s which is lovely in a way but killing me in another.
The main problem is the length of some of them, indeed some run to the length of novels, so, please, help save my eyes and please keep mails to under 150 words.. you can do it! It's close to the stage where I am going to have to say I will answer all mails but those over 200 words will get deleted. Keep them short and sweet, please!!
Also, it's possible the answer you seek from me is already in FAQ's. And do remember I can't discuss individual shares with you as it would be classified as investment advice which I'm not authorised to give.
Spreadbetting firm Tradefair Spreads has upped its offer exclusively to Naked Trader readers to a £100 credit. This offer is exclusive to me and not available anywhere else...
I've been using them for a few weeks to check that I'm happy with the service. As you know I don't take ads or allow referrals on the site unless it's a company I've used and I feel confident about.
What I like about it is it's easy to use, spreads are surprisingly tight on the smaller companies and interestingly an automated stop loss is applied to each trade - so beginners know what their max loss is from the outset.
Anyway they now offer a £100 credit as long as you deposit £100. You get the credit after you placed 5 trades (Terms and conditions apply)
If you'd like to apply for an account with Tradefair Spreads and get the freebie click this link:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/
Many of you enjoy the cheap advfn toplists bronze deal through me as do many of you with the cheap level 2. However many of you say you want a half-way house to include real-time share prices always on.
So I'm pleased to announce I've managed to seal a new deal with Advfn for its "Silver" service - that's always on real-time share prices for a good saving (Bronze toplists etc are included in this).
The deal is via me you can save £30 for your first year by paying just £138.06 inc vat via me instead of £167.47.
Just mail me for full details if you'd like it with "silver" in the subject line.

Those of you looking for some extra income could be interested here:

http://www.ei42.com/Nakedtrader/ then click "earn money" on the rhs.

So for free you can sign up and get this shopping site for yourself. What's brilliant is any product you want type it into the search and it will come up with it, which store it is at and where it is cheapest, then buy it and earn commission on your spend!
Everytime you buy anything yourself on your site you get commission.. So if you normally shop online anyway it's a no brainer: just use your own site instead of going direct and get some commission every time you shop.
Then you just get some friends to sign up and get their own site too - when they do online shopping using their mall, you get commission too. Simple as that.

They've just re-published "The Zulu Principle" by Jim Slater who's written a 2008 update at the beginning.
This is a brilliant classic book. Reading this is a real pleasure and it was a great idea to republish.
Jim believes like I do the best gains can come from smaller stocks and in an easy to read style takes you through how to evaluate smaller companies that are about to become bigger ones - he uses some excellent examples.
Really this is a must read for all more longer-term investors or anyone looking to grow their money... a number of you have also written to me about this book and praising it.
Here is the link to buy it:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/167207.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Here's a very topical one: The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets by Peter Schiff.
The book is all about how to keep portfolios up in a down market. He focusses a lot on how to play commodities and win with some sensible advice especially on natural resources and precious metals. He is very much a realist and there is no rubbish here: some straight talking and some interesting strategies.
Everyone who invests should think seriously about keeping portfolios up in bad times so this book should be read.
Well worth picking up at this link:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/271958.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
To order my new book Naked Trader 2 for next day delivery click this link... or the cover of the book top right!
http://books.global-investor.com/books/27120.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
I've had heaps and heaps of praise from many of you regarding The Financial Spreadbetting book.
The book really seems to have helped a lot of you understand spreadbetting a lot more than you did. You say it's really helped you with ideas too. The writer deserves commendation. With the ability to go short so important in these volatile markets, it's a must read. To order click this link... http://books.global-investor.com/books/23307.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Several people have asked me for a recommendation on a book which shows how to study accounts in a reasonably easy way. The one I like the most is http://books.global-investor.com/books/15717.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Robert Leach. Ten crunch questions to ask before buying any company.
It' s a decent easy-to-read book with several key chapters and it's highly recommended. It's one I keep and dip into from time to time. To order, click this link... http://books.global-investor.com/books/15717.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
The best book on charting and easiest read on the subject is http://books.global-investor.com/books/15618.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Alistair Blair. Click here -> http://books.global-investor.com/books/15618.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Another good one is the second edition of http://books.global-investor.com/books/23792.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Peter Temple. Included in this one is how to use spreadbetting, CFD's warrants and trackers to reduce risk. And there are some decent trading strategies too.
This is an excellent book for new investors and also experienced ones. It explains all the things you may not be sure about in the markets and will explain the tools that are there. To order The Investors Toolbox by Peter Temple (new edition) click the following link for delivery in 24 hours... http://books.global-investor.com/books/23792.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

**** BOOKING FOR FRI JUNE 25TH AT HEATHROW NOW OPEN**

(MaY seminar is sold out)
Fancy spending a day with me, learning all the ways I have learned over the years to find good shares and play the markets? Well, you can at one of my seminars!
Booking is now open for the next Naked Trader seminar on Friday June 25th
Price is £495 plus vat. But there is an early bookers discount!
That includes three course lunch, coffees, snacks etc. And most importantly it covers choc bars and fruit gums too.
The seminar is mainly aimed at beginners and dabblers though improvers are welcome too.
Topics covered using live market feeds all day include: Market psychology, level 2 - a simple guide to how to use it for better timing; how to value companies; finding companies that are about to rise. I will also cover techniques for handling events such as the recent meltdown and volatility.
Spreadbetting: How to use it to gain an edge and go short. Market makers - how they work and how to beat them; how to stop losing money and make it instead and plenty more.
How to plan trade entries and exits - how to research companies and understand reports, plus all those niggly questions you always wanted to ask. How to set stop losses and targets. Charts and how to use them.
Also covered: Market maker tricks: How to spot tree shakes and use them in your favour, How to tell when NOT to buy a share. I use live ADVFN all day with lots of level 2 and looks at all kind of live market data.
The idea behind the seminar is SIMPLICITY. I don't use jargon or fancy words - everything is in PLAIN ENGLISH! No question is too stupid and the event is held in a friendly relaxed and supportive environment.
The idea is you will come away from the event I hope a wise and better investor with lots of new ideas. I try and translate complex topics into easy bite size pieces. I also aim for it to be entertaining as well as instructive.
If you are interested please e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "seminar interested" in the subject line and I will send you full details of the event including comments from those who have come to previous seminars and you can then decide whether you would like to come. See you there!
One seminar attendee Clare wanted to write a testimonial about her experiences at the seminar which follows now!
"I've just come back buzzing from one of Robbie's seminars. What a day! He's just brilliant, and manages to pack an awful lot into one day, and with his enthusiastic and humorous delivery the day just flies by. There are no gimmicks, no sell, no "˜get-rich-quick' promises, just his own solid, sound approach which he has learnt over the years and which works.
He shows you how to minimise the risks and maximise the profits and points out the banana skins on the way. Where the seminar really comes into its own is when he teaches using live level 2. Hearing him talk through his thought processes and reasoning is invaluable, and really brings home everything from the book. He has endless patience answering peoples' questions, and really seems to care that everybody understands.
On top of that, you meet some really nice like minded people and swap e mail addresses, you're plied with
chocolates and coffee all day, have a great lunch and spend the evening getting tiddled with Robbie in the
bar afterwards! You might even get to see the amazing crocodile boots . . . .
Don't worry about the cost, it's easily worth it, and you'll soon make it back with your new-found investment skills, and in what you're no longer losing. If you're thinking of going along to his next seminar, whether you're a novice or an experienced trader, don't hesitate ""just go!
Thanks Clare, did you want the tenner in cash, or will a cheque do?

Exclusive One Point Spread, £250 Cashback Offer

Still a massive response coming in for the sensational 1 point indices spread offer plus £250 cash back on losses - my mail box continues to be full of enquires - don't miss out!
I have arranged a deal with a spreadbet company that gives you just ONE POINT spreads on all the major indices and very tight spreads on everything else. A one point spread is just amazing and you can use it on the FTSE, DOW, Nikkei etc...
Not only that, I can offer those of you interested a fantastic £250 cash back on any realised spreadbet losses made within your first 8 weeks. That means you get back any losses up to £250 which could come in extremely handy.
If you'd like the details of this offer just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "£250 cashback offer" in the subject line. This really is a great offer which will have a limited lifespan so if you want it, get cracking!

I've started using Tradefair for spreadbetting - I like the auto generated stop losses which help to maintain discipline and that's good for beginners I think. And exclusively for Naked Trader readers they upped the offer to £100 credit.
So there's now a £100 credit on offer for anyone opening an account via me. You get that after 5 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply)
To get the offer, click here:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/

You've got to hand it to this new weird government - it already seems to have a lot of energy but then again it is only the first week.

Compromise between them must be quite difficult - selfishly of course the one I'm interested in is capital gains tax and hopeful at least the threshold isn't reduced as most traders I'm sure feel.

Some good things: Home info packs to be axed. The only reason for them was for the previous government to snoop on the details and try and raise council tax. ID cards are a goner, hurrah.

And whatever whatsherface said to the coppers at the conference went down well. Cutting down on red tape and paperwork and allowing more quick decisions to be made to get real police back on the beat is to be applauded.

It seems like they are really keen to see the end of the nanny state and that's brilliant.

What a state BA is in. Terrible results today and I'm not surprised a lot of its staff won't be taking part in the strike. The current business model just doesn't work and if the strikers aren't careful there won't be any jobs at all left.

Striking during half-term to affect as many people as possible isn't really going to win them any support and support for them is limited. Both sides need to talk this out and get a resolution but the workers have got to accept some cuts.

Mrs NT agrees and so does everyone else it seems. Times have moved on and this union should so the same - they are not doing their members any favours.

I watched "Three In A Bed" - it was quite entertaining. Of course I had to make sure the Mrs didn't catch me!

We do three in a bed all the time - me, her and Big Ted..

Well, that's what she likes to call it!

Actually it's a show where three b and b owners stay at each other's b and b's and then slag each other off. Which is quite fun. They also pay what they think the room is worth.

Amazing to see some people's weird obsessions... "You should state the bacon is smoked or unsmoked" - I mean, who cares?

Also the sneaky way in which some owners try and win the show - quite fascinating.

I watched that and flicked to Junior Apprentice during the ad breaks. Didn't really grip me and I don't see the point of it really. Who cares who gets fired? And where's the normal Apprentice?

Must be the time of the year for Big Brother to start - its last year and at least one year too many. At last we can tell Shouty McCall: You have been evicted!

I'm planning to do a bit of betting on the World Cup, it makes it more fun - I generally spreadbet and enjoying backing teams not to win! I did quite well last night and will try and post some bets.
I came across a brilliant book which is a big help: The Essential World Cup Betting Guide 2010. It's written by a full time football punter and has all the stats, betting tips and hints to actually make some real money out of it - it really is brilliant and under £7! Do get it and read it if you intend to do any betting, link is here:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/459897.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
And the spreadbetting firm I use is here: via this link they offer a pretty generous £400 free bet on goals. The offer is if you open an account and place 5 bets they offer a £200 freebie, place a further 5 and you get another £200. If you could find a match with lots of goals that could pay off. Please check terms and conditions
http://www.sportingindex.com/?tpid=6755
Do remember if you do bet you ought to treat sports spreadbetting as entertainment - and expect to lose! Also with spreadbetting work out what your max loss could be and make sure you can afford it! In other words if you say backed the favourite at 15 for a fiver and they come nowhere your max loss is £75.

Oliver writes:
Thank you very much for what was a very informative and enjoyable seminar. In terms of value for money I don't think anyone there could possibly complain. Your enthusiam and drive were apparent from the off and it was impressive to see you keep it up for the 12 hour marathon session.
The day was everything I hoped it would be and with any luck I shall be back in the future for a refresher and a reminder of all that was learned last week.
For anyone who is thinking about self investment in shares then this is a fantastic way to start your education and even if you aren't a beginner then there is still much to learn from a man who is quite clearly at ease amongst the ebbs and flows of the stock market.
Thanks Oliver. I put the tenner in the post. It was cash you wanted wasn't it?
Dean writes:
Hi Robbie, I noticed that you keep getting emails about pills to make your "˜manhood' bigger.Well recently I have startdeaned to get phone calls saying that I can wipe out all my debts within 2 years and wondered if we should tell Gordon Brown to give them a call.

Maybe they can sort out the £950 billion we owe! I think it's the best chance we have of getting out of this mess.

Yes, Dean I think the UK should start borrowing on credit cards, transferring balances from one card to another at 0% and collecting various points along the way...

David writes:
Thanks for a great May seminar. It was just what I needed and particularly the understanding of level 2 and spread betting. Also your fast track analysis of company info was amazing and will save me hours of work over the coming months.

Don't know how you managed to keep up the pace til 10pm your stamina clearly better than most of the participants who like me were flagging . Well done and will certainly recommend the seminar to friends.

Thanks for that David. I must have been on something. I think it was the 7pm gin and tonic that kept me going...
Lalani writes:
I attended your seminar 18 months ago after reading your book and wanted to say thank you for:-
1. Talking in plain simple English. I actually work for an investment bank (not a trader I hasten to add) - and there is a lot of complex trading strategies, instruments, tools, terminology etc etc Your seminar and book actually helped me to understand the basics and I'm sure even helped me pass the IMC - a financial exam.
2. Making the seminar interesting and humourous - time flew by and it helped me solidify the principles in your book and gave me the confidence to actually have a go myself at investing in something other than index trackers. I'm particularly glad you value the importance of providing a plentiful supply of sweets, chocolate, coffee and a fab lunch too. Top marks in that area - and such variety too!
3. Putting a sparkle back into my marriage - yes - honestly. I recommended your book to my husband and he surprised me by actually reading it and finishing it (mostly on the toilet). He loved your book too and now we often have a good banter about the shares we like and whose portfolio is doing better! I am actually considering booking him on your seminars as a present.
4. Your website. It always makes me smile, and you write in an engaging and humourous manner and it's one of the websites I reguarly visit.
Thanks Lalani, well I never thought I'd be responsible for helping put a sparkle into a marriage... but if your hubby enjoys reading my book on the loo, that's great.

For me it's usually The Sun! Anyway thanks for the fan mail.

John writes:
Thanks for a great seminar last Friday, everyone I spoke to enjoyed it and marvelled at how you kept going so long; you certainly gave value for money.

If the seminar taught me anything it was how to trade in a more professional and detached manner. I realise up till now I was just playing at it.

Thank you once again for a fantastic day that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Thanks John, though my wife sometimes complains I go on for too long.....

I have 3 great offers from ADVFN. First great deal: If you want level 2, though me it is only £299 for your first year including VAT!
This compares to £360 PLUS vat from ADVFN direct (£423) so this deal saves you over £100! ADVFN level 2 also includes all the live trades made through Plus Markets which I find invaluable.
To accept this great deal just e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Level 2 offer" in the subject line and I will tell you how to get it. Level 2 for only £299 for a year (including vat), or under £25 a month!!

Deal two is ADVFN's bronze subscription - normally £60pa - available from me for only £40! That's a saving of £20! You get access to the premium bulletin board which contains my discussion forum with direct access to chat to me and some very good traders.
Plus you get ADVFN's premium top lists which I talk about in my book and think are a must for finding great stock picks. That includes great lists like ex dividend dates, market maker buys plus chart breakouts and downs.
To take up the offer, e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with Bronze in the subject line and I will tell you how to claim the deal.

Deal three is ADVFN's silver subscription - for those of you who want all the benefits of Bronze AND always on real-time prices.. no more using the back button and getting frozen out!
The deal is via me you can save £30 for your first year by paying just £138.06 inc vat via me instead of £167.47.
Just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com if you'd like this deal with "silver" in the subject line.

Want to try out broker Selftrade superb trading system for no risk? You only have to trade once to get £50 bunged into your account! You get £50 and I get £50.
All deals are just £12.50 with no funny small print. They also charge £35 plus vat pa for all accounts. Follow this link...
http://tinyurl.com/57hp4n

Lucky I stay unemotional regarding markets. As I say at the seminars one must stay cool, calm and collected.
Shouting various words, most of them containing four letters at the screen is not going to help, ok.
I know you've been doing it haven't you? Of course I haven't being cool, calm and all that. Ok, then I admit it I said a few rude words too. But only when the cat was out of the room.
However it's pretty hard for most to decide what to do. It's one of those sods laws things as in...
Sell your shares and watch a massive rally immediately take place.
Or buy hoping it's the bottom for a rally and immediately watch someone in Germany say something on telly to make it all sink faster than Jonathan Ross' career.
When it's like an Alton Towers rollercoaster sometimes it's better to stand back and wait for a return to the little baby ride at the local fair.
Trying to pick turns and constantly coming in and out of shares as sentiment changes by the second usually just leaves big commission and stamp duty bills.
Mr Market is simply totally bonkers this week and I don't recall in any of my more than 10 years of this such massive swings. Not only massive swings but they can happen in ten minutes. Blame the rise of the machines. Maybe some of them need to be terminated. Where's Arnie when you need him?
Nip out for a cup of tea the FTSE can be down 100, come back and it's up! Crazeee. This afternoon it's come back like a steamtrain as the Dow soared on goodness knows whatever someone somewhere has said about something.
Lots of bargains are appearing and I think one more tankdown and it'll be too hard to resist getting stuck in to them with some of the cash now waiting.
In general I've been successfully shorting the FTSE - just the FTSE rather than individual shares like I did last time shares tanked because, quite simply, it's a lot easier and quicker. I got a decent FTSE short on at 5220 for example. And I've been using the ETF to short in the ISA.
I just knew I shouldn't have mentioned the ETF short for the ISA. It means I get loads of emails asking questions. It's something you may want to research but it's not a tool if you're a beginner as it contains traps as well as good things. Like sometimes the spread is too wide.
The supershort goes up twice as much as the FTSE goes down. The code is SUK2. You buy and sell like a share. Now go research if you want to...
I have quite a bit of this ETF in my ISA which currently makes money from the downside. For example one buy was at 5992 - I sold it today at 6550ish making a profit of £558 from the FTSE fall. I have bought other lots too. It's like a bit of an insurance policy.
For example let's say I had £25,000 worth in an ISA and the FTSE fell 10% to 4500 (possible) then I'd make 20% or £5,000. Enough of this - please can I reiterate this is not a tool to use unless you have some experience and know what you're doing.
I've held drugs company BTG (BCG) for some time, and in reasonable profits - the statement looked good today - it would be considered overvalued on my usual metrics however, the potential of its pipeline looks topnotch and it has plenty of cash so even on a bad day like this I topped up with another couple of thousand at 160. Profits could soar from here on in and it goes into the long-term drawer with a target of 250, stop 120. Some risk with the markets tanking but patience may pay off and not a bad entry point I hope.
Given the market volatilty and half-term is next week I've had a further clear out/declutter so I don't have to spend too much time at the computer - this leaves me further into cash ready to get stuck in at some point, preferably during a big fearful down day. I've closed out anything that's bothering me, and anything with a really big profit asking to be taken.
So, the axe has fallen on:
The final Bioquell at 115.1 - loss £927. Havelock at 13.5 for a profit of £1,050. Treat at 280 for a loss of £490. Harvey Nash at 46.6 for a profit of £1,180 and the final amount of bid story Morse, sold at 50.26 for a profit of £946. Seems pointless waiting for the extra 0.75 pence and doesn't look like there is a further bid coming.
Topsliced Alterian at 160 to close the last position for a profit of £400. However I keep the initial position where I've still nearly trebled. Afren spreadbet is gone at 92 for a profit of £755. However I was looking for a bounce at 82ish where it bounced before and so just bought back at 84.5.
I've also sold and bought back Medusa. I had a massive profit on it and let it slide - I felt I had to sell it as it slipped into a loss and sold at 269.66 losing all the profit, but bought back at 247. The sell-off looks overdone even in this market. However I'd sell quickly on any further tank. All of which cleaning up earns the site a profit (after losses subtracted) of £2,903.
And finally after selling Centamin (CEY) earlier in the week for a profit last time, I was looking at 140 as a reentry area and bought back at 137.5. Targetting where it ran out of puff before at 160, aiming to quick fast on any further market tanks at 130ish.
I've held onto most of my strongest stocks - those holding up well might even go on a list to buy more in the future. I've held onto anything with good solid earnings and strong balance sheets. And anything that was always long-term.
London Capital should be coining it in with all this volatility so happy in there right now - it ought to be going up more if I'm right. Dialight remains a star - those recent director buys help shore it up a do keen buyers on the order book. Buyers keep appearing here. I wonder....
Defensives like PZ Cuzzons and Telecom Plus always hold up well in difficult markets. And long-term shares like Petrofac and Heritage stay there - obviously both were bought at way lower levels so quite an easy decision as both have great long-term futures I think.
Personally I think the market is jerking around so much that for me I'm happy to just stand clear for the moment and see how and where it settles. I could miss a mini rally but I don't have the time and energy to chase them about.
However you are handling it, I wish you all the best. Always better to have a bit of cash ready. I'm wondering where the max point of fear will be to get the best bargains. Could be right now!
One thing is for sure: it's going to be a mighty interesting summer.
I've been getting e-mails regarding my use of direct market access and who I use. I've tried a few and for me the easiest system for me is here:
http://www.igmarkets.co.uk/?QPID=1079&QPPID=1
Direct market access means you can place orders directly onto the order book bypassing brokers and market-makers with a chance to buy at the "sell" price. I would suggest you ensure you know what you're doing first but IG does provide much education with its "tradesense" educational tool which comes with it.
I also use its spreadbetting service too along with other firms like Tradefair because it now provides trailing stops which to me is a pretty sensible way of trading. Link is here: -
http://www.igindex.co.uk/?QPID=1078&QPPID=1
that also includes a pretty decent educational programme. As usual before opening accounts please read all the warnings on the sites. You can lose a lot of money if you're not careful so pay close attention to them and make sure you always understand what you are doing and what your potential losses are.

I've also started using Tradefair for spreadbetting - I like the auto generated stop losses which help to maintain discipline and that's good for beginners I think. And exclusively for Naked Trader readers they upped the offer to £100 credit.
So there's now a £100 credit on offer for anyone opening an account via me. You get that after 5 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply).
To get the offer, click here:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/

If you want to get the contents of The Naked Trader website into your mailbox instead of waiting for the update to come through, plus exclusively news on the progress of my SIPP from the old Sunday Times column inc new higher risk Aim buys made for that, e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with SIPP in the subject line for details of how to get it.

Want to quit the rat race? Try and start a new source of income so one day you can tell the boss to stuff it? You could do what I did to escape my grotty office job and become an independent distributor for the Utilities Discount Warehouse.
You get to sell great broadband, phone packages and energy to friends, relatives, contacts and anyone else you find and you get cash for each sale but more importantly you get a cut of their spend EVERY MONTH for as long as they are a customer!
It's called residual income and is a far better way to enjoy a ripe old age than relying on a pension. Because even after you stop selling the money STILL comes in!
I still get paid EVERY MONTH for sales I made back in 1999! Every time a customer uses broadband or the phone or switches on a light you get paid.
It's a great business and backed by a stock market company (Telecom Plus), a dedicated team of advisors.. and me to help you on your way!
Not only do you get paid out every month for each customer you can take on distributors. encourage them like I do and get paid on their sales as well.
One day, say you could made redundant, needed a year off or wanted to retire early can you imagine what joy it is to have the regular income coming in. It's wonderful.
You have to work at it, but if you do genuine repeat wealth could be yours. I did it. You can too. For full details, why not email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com.
An overview is also available at http://www.telecomplus.org.uk/fabdeal you can sign up directly there but do tell me!
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Trade tables follow! Trades are current open and recently closed trades. Closed trades feature the closing price and the amount I won or lost. All others are open. Trades get updated a little later than the narrative. Trading costs are ignored, however I also do not add in dividend payments and with the kinds of companies I buy, dividends tend to equal or outweigh costs. Spread rollovers ignored for web purposes. Tables as accurate as poss however a mistake or two can creep in and very occasionally if I forgot I sold or bought something it will be added at a later time.
Trades first reported Weds and Fri afternoons under "Markets" section.. afraid I can't do live trades as that would turn me into a tipster and I'd have to be regulated!