***NEWSFLASH FRI 30TH... Christopher has had the operation and he is back home and feeling fine! It went very well and he was back home very quickly and is now recovering very welll.

Thanks to all of you who mailed especially those whose kids had already had the op - you helped a lot to calm the terrible stress we've been under about the op. Back with full news on Wednesday, have a great Bank Holiday weekend!!

---

WOW! Gordon Brown has just managed the most spectacular political gaffe ever! If you've not seen it yet go and watch Sky News!!!
It's hilarious that so far they kept him away from "real people" and we can now see why - his contempt for his voters is now outed.
To call this lovely pensioner a "bigot" because she simply challenged him on the country's debt, why she couldn't get hold of her pensioner's allowance, and why she was worried for her grandchildren was just wrong.
She asked some very reasonable questions and didn't come across as bigoted at all.
"Fantastic to meet you," oiled Gordon at the end. Then on getting in his car calling her bigoted. But worse that he told his aide it was "ridiculous" and he should "never have been put with that woman".
He blamed others, showed how two faced he is, and even to some extent a kind of intellectual snobbery.
Even worse, she was going to vote Labour and after meeting Brown, has decided not to vote!
On being played back the tape you can see Brown wasn't really sorry at all - sorry for himself - what he said in private he really meant. What he really wants is crawling adulation - never criticism.
Could this be a turning point in the election? Let's hope so. As I write this update he's in her house apologising to her.
She only popped out of the house to get a loaf of bread. Little did she know what a day she was going to have!
I know I shouldn't be worried but my son Christopher is about to go into hospital for an operation - it's a common operation for "glue ear".
He gets a general for it though. I just can't bear the thought of anything happening to him. He was in intensive care a year or so ago for the worst week of my life.
So while I know it's routine and nothing will happen I will be crapping myself till he's back up and about.

We should be able to take him home sometime in the evening though he will need three days to recuperate and we'll take care of him at home.
Obviously this means I won't be updating this Friday as usual but will be back as normal next Wednesday...
The operation's needed because hearing in one of his ears isn't good - the operation kind of clears out the ear.
It'll be great for him once it's done.. he keeps going close to the TV to hear it and struggles sometimes to hear what we say - he also talks a bit louder than he needs to.
So I hope when I update next it'll be good news. I'm sure it will be but I'll be really happy when it's all done and dusted. In the meantime I'm really worried but trying hard to be calm about it.
After the op he'll be groggy for the weekend so off to buy some DVDs to while away the time. Nanny McPhee, Bugs, Buzz Lightyear and Handy Manny are among the lowlights.
Spent a lot of time with him the last few days and it continues to be fantastic. It's fascinating watching him and the other boys play and the internal politics!
But spending time in a sunny park is just fantastic and once again so grateful I haven't got a "proper" job.
Congrats to all those of you who I sponsored for your runs in the London Marathon - you all completed so well done - and especially to Adrian who finished despite a foot injury.. a pleasure to give money to Children In Crisis.
And Colin well done on raising so much for cancer research and for notching up a very respectable 528th, which out of 36,000 is excellent.
Yet another Apprentice winner has deserted Lord Sir Alan - this time Simon Ambrose has left to "start his own property business". I don't think any of the winners stay for that long.
Methinks working for Lord A's property business isn't exactly the most exciting job in the world. Ambrose apparently developed its website www.amsprop.com.
.....Where Lord Sir is currently trying to flog land in Takeley, Essex with planning consent for a hotel/leisure centre and Golf course.
Sounds like a nice quiet country area doesn't it? Only problem is its neighbour. Erm.... Stansted Airport!
Oh gawd. Robert f

---

Peston is back on the main news. That usually means trouble. At least there wasn't a massive red arrow behind him.
If he starts being on every night I'm going to have to emigrate. Somewhere nice and warm. Maybe Greece. Oh hang on, maybe not. Portugal? I think I'm running out of places.
Have you noticed politicians use the same old phrases which almost have the opposite meaning?
"Look..." is said after nearly every question. Meaning: "Look I am not going to answer the question."
"Let me make this perfectly clear" = "Let me muddy the waters even more"
"To be perfectly honest" = "I'm about to be dishonest"
"The truth is" = "I am about to tell a big fat lie"
"Let me say this to you..." = "I am desperately trying to think of how to evade this question"
Peppa Pig was hired by Labour to star at one of its conferences..
And suddenly the cuddly kids character was axed. Some bright spark obviously realised the obvious.
Given that MPs have had their noses in the trough hiring a Pig character wasn't really the brightest idea. A pic of Gordon Brown with a pig was not going to be the greatest PR. Oink oink!
Having said that Brown goes have an amazing resenblance to that bumbling idiot, Daddy Pig...
Christopher is nearly over Peppa Pig especially now he just found out she is a year younger than him. Bye Peppa and Hello Ben and Holly's Kingdom...

If you missed the last seminar the next date is May 14th at Heathrow. You have just got time (but not much) to grab the early bookers discount available. It is also starting to get full so liable to be sold out shortly.
If you're interested in coming then email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "May seminar interested" in the subject line.

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

Because some of you couldn't make May, I've also opened booking for the seminar after this one which will be on Friday June 25th at Heathrow. If you're interested in details on that one, mail me with "June seminar interested" in the subject line.

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! E-mail me for details.
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 MAY 14TH AT HEATHROW NOW OPEN**

(March 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 May 14th
Price is £495 plus vat. However there is an early booking discount now available.
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 "May 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/

Fear, fear and more fear - this whole country seems awash with it, most of it coming from the Government.
Swine flu, ash, cutbacks... hey you can't live without us you know.. we'll protect you!
I've got an idea if there's a hung parliament ...
Instead of allowing one party to make a deal with another .. why doesn't the Queen step in?
How about Her Maj leads an interim government together with all three parties? She gets the final say on everything. Hold another election in six months.
Wouldn't it be nice?
I can't wait for the election to be over - are you as sick of it all as me? The spin, the lies, the kissing babies.
The last debate is on tomorrow. Interesting piece from a journo who's spent a lot of time with Nick Clegg and found him to be even more evasive and long-winded than Gordon Brown.
On asking Clegg a question Clegg resonded with a long-winded answer then said:
"I hope that answer is so complicated that you won't be able to use it."
Remember, the Libs want to bring us into the Euro, reduce capital gain tax to £2,000 among a host of other not so bright ideas. Don't vote for them!
Pretty good drama from the BBC covering the real life stories behind the deaths of the prostitutes by a serial killer in Ipswich.
It's very sad to see the youngsters being forced onto the streets to get drug money.
I do wonder though if prostitution was legal and properly controlled whether any of it would have happened. And whether controlled prostitution would help solve some drug problems.
Best of luck to Fulham for the semi final tomorrow - biggest thing that's happened round here for a long time
There are camera crews from all over the world out here in the street - in fact it's hard to go outside without being interviewed.
So if you see an exceptionally good looking bald bloke being interviewed on the telly with the caption "Fulham Fan" it might be me.

Sporting offer £200 credit for new accounts at this link, see terms and conditions.. click this link to get the offer:

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.

Ian writes:
Just wanted to drop you a line to say hello and hope you and your family are well, and also comment on what you said last week about Facebook and electronic "˜friends'! I totally and whole heartedly agree, no one seems to want to talk to people directly anymore! I would much rather use the phone and actually hear the persons voice or even better "" be in the same room as them! I really don't "˜get' Facebook and others like it. And how the heck do you get any fitter on a Wii fit? Surely actually going out of the house for a walk or run is far better and cheaper. Youtube, I do exactly the same as you! Spend hours typing in random tracks from years ago and dancing round to the tunes! Keep up the good work.

Exactly Ian! But can you get fitter than a wii fi fitter?
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...

Andy writes:
I am reading your book. I am sending you this email not in direct reference to anything financial but musical. I am many things including a DJ.
No man of your standing should be subject to commercial tripe when it comes to dance music.
There is no reason why one should dis-like "Put your hands up for Detroit" , but if my surmise is correct, if you like the commercial stuff, you would probably be left speechless by the good stuff. Here i can help -I think. Both my wife and I agree, that of all the music I have, the Global Underground series is excellent. Nick warren, Sasha Darren Emerson and almost all of the 38 albums so far in the main series are great. "Communicate" by Sasha and John Digweed is also an album i hold dear and one i am quite sure you would love. Sometimes it takes a couple of listens to really get it but they are a world away from the "commercial"
Hi Karl!
Thanks for that. What you may not have taken on board is how crap my music taste is - I just like stuff that gets me up on my feet with a happy tune and a good beat! But I'll order one of those and give it a try - thanks for trying to broaden my horizon!
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.

Alistair writes:

I just purchased your book and just wanted to drop you a quick email to say that I am, so far, thoroughly enjoying it. I didn't realise how much it would make me chuckle! I especially enjoyed your comments about Prime Minister's question time.

I too find Gordon Brown's inability to complete a sentence without stuttering or mispronouncing words highly entertaining. It was one of my favourite Wednesday morning hangover remedies before I graduated. However, as the looming general election draws nearer I have to ask myself whether this is a substantial enough reason to vote for the man?

Glad you like it!
Not a bad reason to vote for him though personally I'm fed up with the whole lot of them!

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.
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Honestly - which useless market commentator wrote this on Friday?
"I'm glad for now as I mentioned before that I didn't get shorting as it looks like there is upside left still with the trend still up. Every crisis and dip ends up getting bought."
Oh balls. It was me!! Nothing like the exact opposite happening and why I never forecast anything. I should have shorted the moment I wrote that smug sentence!
All I can say is: get your revenge and don't vote for Greece (or Portugal) in the Eurovision song contest as it's all their fault.
The question is whether this crisis will pass like the others or are we all really in the s***? Don't ask me.
One argument is: buy now as it's always best to buy at the height of fear.

The other is: Get out in case things get worse, I'm scared. Both arguments, sadly, carry weight. Greed and fear, fear and greed as usual. There is never going to be a right or wrong answer and we can just do our best.
Main thing is always never to trade more than you can afford. In this current market a lot of spreadbets will have hit stop losses - the problem will be when people get calls from spreadbet firms asking for money. If they can't afford to pay they have been over using the credit. Beware of doing this - people have lost their houses.
Unusually for me I've been playing with the FTSE short-term - with it in freefall it was quite an easy decision to go short for a bit even though I missed a lot of it and I collected about £500, closing out this morning. Obviously I shan't be claiming any of this short-term gain for the website.
Then I went long! Hard to find the biggest point of fear.. anyway I bought the FTSE at 5580 - again I guess this will be short-term but it has come back a long way in a short time. Maybe this will pay off maybe it won't. I shan't let it make much of a loss though.
Anyway looks like we could be entering a period of turbulence so it's a matter of being cautious.
When it gets volatile like this I tend to scale back on volatile stocks - so far my smaller ones are in the main not affected much - and in particular spreadbets. Here is what I've been up to:
I sold Easyjet at 492.35 for a profit of £200 and at 491 on the spreads for a profit of £320. It couldn't get through 500 but in any event it was always a short-term idea.
I've sold and rebought Fenner (FENR) It went at 232 for a profit of £540. I only sold it because the market was slumping and it was in good profit, not realising a statement was due today. The statement included a placing - but for some reason they overreacted crazily to the downside just as I write this and I have literally just bought back this time with real shares - 2,000 at 197.38 which looks a fantastic re-entry point especially as the placing was at 210. Target 250 stop 180. Blimey O'Reilly they just went back over 200. Maybe that was a good price. I would expect this to be a medium term hold now.
Hunting went for a loss of £167 as it hit the stop at 590 - however it ended up being sold below the stop selling at 587. A poor buy (Buying against a downtrend).
Zotefoams went at 108-1 and 105 for a total profit of £546 plus a 4p dividend. . It's been hard to judge whether to flog off any of risky oil play Aminex. It's been going down and went through a stop so I've sold around two thirds at 10.5 but all the spreadbet with an eye on a potential buyback. For website purposes that's the last trade for a loss of £625 and half the previous one for a profit of £975 - the spreadbet makes a profit of £1,200.
I also sold the last XP top up while keeping the original treble holding - I think I got that wrong selling at 546 for a profit of £306 - it's already gone higher - still at least I have the original holding... Sdl has become disappointing so topsliced some of the spreadbet at 455, keeping half of it, that's a profit of £600.
That's total profit minus losses on those trades, a profit of £ 3,895.
Elsewhere LOQ has risen very nicely yet again on another contract win and a decent AGM statement - looks to be like this company is only just starting and I think it's possible I will double or even treble my money on this one. Very glad I topped up when the tipster said sell.
Looks like the Morse bid is going to go ahead at 51p. The price won't go above 51 now unless there is any sign of a counter-bid. I'm going to hold for just a bit longer in case especially as it's either going to end up at 51p or more to bank a profit of near £2,000.
Porvair went ex dividend for 1.5p today so in effect it's up - my next bid hope!
Most of my shares have luckily held or only down slightly in the recent melee which is a good sign.
Shares that have gained a lot for me like Volex, Kentz and Scott Wilson have remained pretty much unaffected. Microgen has held onto its recent gain after a decent statement - - doubled on this since bought at last year's March seminar.
Dialight reported a decent-looking acquisition today - probably would have gained on a better day - this one remains a decent longer-term hold, shame the spread is sometimes so wide - the company ought to consider trying to make the shares more liquid somehow. Longer-term expecting this to be a big winner.
Nestor Healthcare is on the move after a long quiet spell, already in big profit here but buyers coming back in here could see a nice move up to 60p.
Domino Printing has actually gone up while the market was tanking and the spreadbet in very good profit now. Hilton Food Group is trying to conquer the 250 there may be some more upside. In the meantime a nice dividend.
Alterian where I'm up a few thousand goes well. Axis Shield is up nicely over the last couple of days and holds well, too in a down market.. 450 next stop?
Spirent remains a near doubler. PZ Cuzzons has started another nice rise.
Petrofac's has come back but as I bought the main lot in the 300s I can't be too worried and with the free Enquest shares, profits are up and over £19,000.
So, with volatility in the air things look set to get a bit rocky, and handling it will be an interesting challenge.

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!