07:35am  CET (06:35 UK time)  ~  Once again I shall be assisting the builders today but there will also be some chart watching while I’m here in my makeshift study catching up on emails this morning.

Despite a bigger than expected contraction for the US economy in the first quarter, it dropped 1% against forecast for 0.5%, the Dow Jones 30 came in 43 pips ahead to finish at 16,692. It would seem that investors remained optimistic as the overall picture indicates improvement and were ready to overlook this apparently one off set of numbers. The S&P500 is now firmly in higher territory after 8 days of generally bullish movements, so we may see some profit-taking at the end of the week, it ended the day 10 pips up and 1920. Falling Crude Oil supplies at Cushing, Oklahoma have pushed the WTI prices 45 cents higher yesterday to $103.51 a barrel, there does seem to be some small support at $102.50 together with higher equity values should drive the price higher in the short term.

Gold lost another $3 yesterday, mainly in early trading, ending the day at $1255.2 as investors funds are diverted to the bullish equity markets. The previous support at $1275 has now been firmly broken, so it would seem that $1200 is the next stopping off point.

09:15am  ~  Needed outside so trading/emails postponed for the morning.

12:05pm  ~  Just come in to have a quick look at some charts and a Brent Oil ‘short’ trade triggered a little while ago, but as there’s been a retrace I’ve got in at a slightly better price.  I’ll have to set-up a stop as I can’t really sit and watch the chart as I usually do as I’m still required outside, the stop-loss is 22 pips.

16:00pm  ~  My Brent trade is still doing ok.

16:55pm  ~  Just popped in to check the chart and as the trade was at +41 pip profit, I’ve closed it off.

18:40pm  ~ Back inside now for the evening and while I cook some supper for friends that’ll be over in an hour or so I’m going to watch the S&P500 to see if there’s any “Trade With A Day Job” set-ups.

19:50pm  ~  I am in a ‘long’ position on the S&P. Stop loss is 16 pips.

20:50pm  (19:50pm UK )~  Things are getting very busy here now, so I’m out of the market to concentrate on other things.  The trade ended at +35 pips.