08:20am   I am planning another quiet day at home so any trades I take will be detailed below in my Trading Diary.

Market Update:

European markets closed mostly up with travel and leisure stocks performing best as company results continue to beat expectations. The Catalonian situation is perceived to be broadly under control by the Spanish Government despite deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont fleeing to Brussels and holding a news conference to deny he was escaping imprisonment.  U.S. equity markets also finished positively and ended had a seventh straight monthly gain as enthusiasm for Trump’s administration continues to power stocks, the Dow Jones rose 4.3% in October and closed last night at 23,377.40 (+28.50) and is further up this morning in futures trading at 23,464.90 so we could see a new record high by this evening.

The overnight Asian trading session closed broadly up also as China’s Caixin manufacturing PMI came in around the expected number and energy stocks rose as Crude Oil values rose.  WTI Crude gained 53 cents yesterday to close at $54:61 as expectations that the OPEC production limits will have the desired effect on prices, the U.S. benchmark is higher this morning at $54:95 which is almost at the 2017 high of $55:21.

Gold is still trading around its 200-day moving average and had a negative session yesterday as money flowed into equities but it has had a small boost this morning and is currently $4:80 up on last night’s close at $1275.65.

Trading Diary:

09:15am    I have just taken a ‘long’ position on my GOLD 30-min chart, it’s a Master-The-Trend Strategy-B set-up with a 34 pip stop loss.

10:10am    Just taken a quick profit from my GOLD position, I am now out with +34 pips.  I am wary that equity prices are advancing which should signify a drop in the Gold price so I have booked the gain before the price falls.

10:35am   Cycle ride now – quiet on my charts at the moment.

14:00pm   I am back from lunch and a quick scan of my charts shows no immediate opportunities so I am switching off my screens for the day and carrying on with house renovations.  Back here early tomorrow morning.