Not bad at all

Many thanks as always for emails and questions.

I was phoned be a very prominent City person who asked me if I had a forecast on the FTSE for the year ahead like the one which won the competition in the FT last year. I told him I cannot see a reason to be bullish, but I can also see people willing to buy stock market weakness too. So all things sideways, but the greater risk is that we stop buying poor share performance and so the downside comes.

What does that mean for trading. Well, keep looking for the 3 to 5 best opportunities and you don't care what the rest of the market does. That is what own account trading is about. You're a mini-hedge fund - looking for absolute returns regardless of market turm-OIL!

Clearly someone sees action in gas after the turbulence of oil. Check out BG Group. Looks a contender to break resistance to 360p, if so then 400p is a target. However, if it does not break that resistance at 360p and falls to below 320p then it will suggest dumb money was pushing the market higher and shrewd bears are selling the strength in the price.

Why don't I know ahead of time? - Well the price is king and until it reacts, I don't. I don't try to outsmart the price. I wait. If it breaks a level then I go in. I do not anticipate it breaking a level.

GUS is worth a look too. What - someone thinks Mr Green may look to GUS if he doesn't get M&S. Well the money is moving in. It is a classic momentum play. You stay in until it fails to make a new daily high and then exit if it drops below the previous one or two day low.

On technicals, the charts, Reckitt Benckiser is roaring ahead. It can't last of course and that is why the above momentum exit rule can come in handy.

Money

Also with these it is worth ensuring that the potential upside is double the downside stop loss. I'll explain more about this in future pieces.

Value-Growth

On my own proprietary value-growth monitor there are no new names beyond the ones mentioned last week.

Don't forget you can get my new CDROMs on 'How To Invest Better' from the ADVFN bookstore under 'Alpesh' in the search engine.

Crazy Small Stock

Crazy high risk plays - if you can handle the risk. On my radar this week: Supercart, Avingtrans, Ten Alps and complete wildcard - Coffeeheaven. All pure adrenalin momentum plays - not recommendations but simply 'crazy small stocks which may continue steep rises (or turn and burn) - but they almost certainly won't stand still.