08:00am CET (07:00 UK time)  ~  Back home and planning a lazy day with some emailing and charts watching and then off for a cycle ride with neighbours after lunch.

After a few days away from the markets I can see that U.S. equities had a positive session yesterday after disappointing industrial production numbers together with a fall in manufacturing output last week would have suggested to the Fed that an interest rate rise in the summer should be put on hold although there was a technical reason for the S&P 500 rally as well, it reversed at the 2041 support level late on Friday’s session and the momentum continued throughout Monday.

Tomorrow we have a Federal Reserve press conference so traders will be closely following the speech to see what clues are given out concerning a June rate rise – often the clues are extremely subtle and commentators are looking for just a few words difference such as dropping the word ‘patience’ from the rhetoric suggesting that a decision has already been made as long as economic indicators in the U.S. continue their steady rise. Over here in Europe, the European Central Bank President, Mario Draghi has said that a gradual economic recovery is underway as he talks up his money-printing exercise even though there is still rumblings of trouble in Greece. His thoughts did affect the Euro slightly, it did rebound slightly against the Dollar and ended the session 90 pips up at 1.0565.

U.S. Crude Oil continued its fall and yesterday hit a level last seen in March 2009 and is currently sitting at the $43 support level as OPEC has cut it forward demand numbers and Gold is still trading in a narrow range with hopes of an increase in value being kept in check with the looming prospect of higher U.S. interest rates.

Market Close Monday 16th March 2015:   Dow Jones 30  +228.11 @ 17,977.42  S&P 500  +27.79 @ 2,081.19  NASDAQ  +55.57 @ 4,370.47  FTSE 100  +43.01 @ 6,804.08  UK AIM  -1.96 @ 715.87  DAX 30  +266.11 @ 12,167.72  CAC 40  +50.70 @ 5,061.16  IBEX  +80.90 @ 11,114.70   Nikkei 225 (Today)  +190.94 @ 19,437.00  Hang Seng (currently)  -45.32 @ 23,904.23

All times below are CET (UK time +1hr)

10:55am  ~   The only excitement I can see on my charts at the moment is a possible ‘short’ UTB trade on my FTSE100 chart.

11:05am  ~  I am in the above position with a 12 pip stop loss.

12:40pm  ~  Out of the FTSE position with a +33 pip profit.

13:35pm  ~  Off for a quick lunch now and then away cycling until later this afternoon.

16:30pm  ~  Back now and just waiting for the Brent Crude price to rise above $52.85 so triggering a ‘long’ UTB trade.

16:40pm  ~  I am now in the trade described above, the stop loss is 29 pips.

18:50pm  ~  Just poised ready to get into a ‘Trade With A Day Job’ long trade (S&P 500)

18:55pm  ~  In the S&P position with a 16 pip stop loss. Target for all TWADJ trades is 20 pips.

19:05pm  ~  Very quick TWADJ trade – I am now out with a +20 pip profit but still in my Brent UTB position.

20:00pm  ~  Happy with my Brent trade so I am out now with a +66 pip profit. Nice to be back in front of my charts after 5 days away from them and a total for the day = 119 pips