Continuing the process of sitting on my hands other than a purchase of #VLX as a first step to scale into a larger position, and a chunk of #iUKD bought in my dividend acount. Out of all index SBs for the weekend. #FTSE100 #FTSE250 #AIM100

Album of the Week. 'Doolitte" by The Pixies. 1989. More popular in the UK than on their home turf, Doolittle reached no 8 in  our album charts. Nothing quite like the Pixies at the time with their ''loud quiet loud' style. For  anyone familiar with the Pixies how would you describe them?

Almost a month on now from Volex's encouraging half year update on November 12th. Share price now appears to have settled. Back in then today at 397 with new starter position. 12 month chart below #VLX

Pleased to be into a new month. November started well but since the first week virtually all of my moves have been wrong. Annoying.

Album of the Week. Disco Inferno. The Tramps. So its 1977,  its Saturday,  your dreary 9-5 is over and its off to the disco for an explosion of musical happiness. The single, Disco Inferno went mainstream in 1978 when it was included in the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever.

Another week of sitting tight whilst AI jitters and UK budget nerves tempered the market. Thus i've only been active with index shorts (obviously with my risk management antenna turned up to maximum) Looked like a bad move for a few hours with the $NVDA results spike, but soon settled, um, down.

No buys or adds this week. Still 55% cash. Meanwhile remaining holdings..

As the old saying goes "them who have the biggest deals have the biggest spews" But not yet #NVDIA

Album of the Week. Its January 1975 and "Down by the Jetty" bursts onto the scene. The debut album from Doctor Feelgood. Their second album "Malpractice" was launched later in the year. I've never been to Canvey Island but its said you can still hear strains of "Cheque Book" playing in the wind...

Today - 55% cash. 45% "high conviction" stocks that are looking a sad. Several index shorts running partially, offestting the damage. Most importantly watchlist hidden behind the fridge to avoid temptation. #FTSE100 #FTSE250

Over half in cash and sitting tight. That said #VLX interests me again now after this weeks update. Also #SUPR. My index shorts were begining to get uncomfortable mid week, esp #FTSE100 which I had opened too early. Obviously yesterday worked in my favour.

Album of the week. Pace, Ashton, Lord. Hailed a supergroup at the time, only recorded one album. Malice in Wonderland. Released in  March 77 with a promotional tour including the Birmingham Odeon on Saturday March 26th 1977. Obviously I was there. One of the best (them not me)

B & M update today suggests to me that any recovery that may occur will be outside my attention span. I have trimmed back my holding by 25% #BME

Interesting to see how the #FTSE100 of late mirrors the US with a few heavyweights influencing the overall direction.The FTSE contingent are generally "old"sectors, so a major difference to US tech. Many FTSE100 companies have also had a leg up with recent currency movements.

If I took a snapshot of the market today it would appear that everything that I have done in the last 10 days has been completley "wrong" however the market keeps on moving and the landscape can change very quickly.

Great to see Volex poweing ahead today. Shame that I sold my holding a while backnafter holding for several years. They always seemed to hit resistance around 330. Not now! The great thing about stocks is that you can always buy back in #VLX

I asked Grok to "Provide a report on how Russia and other malicious actors use propaganda on social media to influence the UK population. Identify the main players, their objectves and methods". Maybe ask your preferred AI assistant the same.

Active week. Sold out of my two largest holdings both of which tend to track the indexes and hence current sentiment. #iUKD #POLR. Sitting tight in stocks that move on their own merit. 55% cash. There are some tremendous opportunites developing. Is this weeks tech nervousness just a blip?

No office Christmas party in 1999. Because on December 9th we were off to the NEC Arena to see Village People.  Apparently its fun to stay at the YMCA. Also fun to listen to all the other songs that sounded, um, very similar. Regretably it all finished too late to get to the pub for last orders.

.....to add context the reason that I have not held this much cash since 2018 is that I have been too slow to cash out when the market is on the cusp of falling in the past. I recognise that you can never be sure that the market is on the cusp of falling. I might be completely wrong.

Sold the remainder of my #iUKD & #POLR today. Now sitting with 55% cash the largest proportion since turning full time in 2018.

My two largest holdings, #iUKD & #POLR have performed stronngly over the last couple of months. If they were to slip back it would knock a big hole in the portfolio. Not wishing to sit back and watch this occuring I have sold 75% of each today to sit in cash in run up to budget.

Running with low activity at the moment. Feels like sitting tight is the way forward. The markets are toppy for sure, but still scope for them continue upwards. That said I am running a couple of index shorts (on a tight leash) #riskmanagement

I used to access Alliance News on Morningstar as it sat outside their paywall so no subscription required. Morningstar no longer provide it at all. Does anyone else use Alliance and if so how is it most easily/cheaply reached?

From 1975 for last weeks album, fast fowarding 50 years to 2025. Joe Bonamassa's  "Breakthrough", released in June of this year is this weeks album of the week. A rare treat for those of us that like blues rock. And one to avoid if you dont.

I am sitting on my hands. Ideally I want to add but nothing that I hold has any momentum of its own, just bobbing up with the index. Trouble is the heading back down when sentiment changes. I like stocks that "run on their own legs" irrespective of the market. This shows strength.

Album of the week. Rainbow Rising. The second album by Richie Blackmores Rainbow. Off we went to the Birmingham Odeon, on the train from  Solihull to New Street Station to  see Rainbow Live on 16th September 1976. On the way home I thought I must post a note about this in 49 years time.

Nasty week for a few of my holdings, shares portfolio looking sad. Up on index trades though, largely due to today's volatility pulling me out clean from a #DAX short and creating a low risk entry for #FTSE100 long during the day. Out of both now with funds resting safely over the weekend.

Album of the Week.Continuing the theme of buying because I liked the cover, another plum mistake. Released in 1975. Just like an IPO plummeting after launch poor old Blue Goose flew straight into the Bargan rack at W.H. Smiths, price 25p. At least one was sold, I bought it. I tried hard to like it.

.... read this, made me laugh..... Russ Mould (A.J.Bell) commented that "Whitbread shareholders will be wondering if Premier Inn's 'good night sleep or your money back' guarantee extends to investors, judging by yet another weak performance." Brilliant! (not holding) #WTB

Pets at Home and CVS Group share prices up this morning suggesting the impact of the CMA investigation is considered less damaging than feared based on the information released in the provisional decision. (I dont hold either but have previously held both) #PETS #CVSG

Nice, steady as she goes, trading update from Reach today. Came out of my long term position a while back to sit on the side-lines for a while. have been running a small starter position and today added at 62.2 #RCH

Looking back at last week seems mid caps ran soft compared to #FTSE100. Part of my thinking in reducing larger cap holdings. More opportunity in mid caps for a while. That said caution probably required for the next few days.

Positive up week led by #POLR. Activity this week was trimming back my largest holdings, moving some cash to fixed interest, leaving the portfolio with cash at 22%. Completed a few "churns" notably in #ALRT. In cautious mode with larger purchases at the moment.

Album of the week. The second album that I bought was Stormbringer when it was first released in 1974. I knew little of Deep Purple at the time,  I just liked the cover. Album was an immediate favourite, and one that I have enthusiastically listened to ever since.

I have trimmed back several positions today before the market does it for me. Like many others I feel the market is toppy. Reductions in size then for #BA. #POLR #PCT & #iUKD

Pleased to see #POLR heading up on today's news. My largest holding by far. Its lacklustre performance over the past 18 months has been an unwelcome drag on my portfolio so the current return to form is very welcome.

Coming to the end of an unusually positive week. Most holdings up, my largest one #POLR up 12% on the week. Trimmed back a couple of positions and popped funds into fixed interest. Running a #FTSE100 short as a hedge should the index retreat.

Album of the Week. After the spectacular success of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells in 1973 the first album that I ever bought was Hergest Ridge. All very exciting. I had no idea what it was like just that I would be the first to own it. Utter disappointment. Hated it. Still traumatised today.

Not my typical type of holding but opened a small position in #ALRT

Looks like we are in for an interesting month. Opened a #FTSE100 short this morning @ 9388.

Good news today from Watkin Jones Group, pushing the share price up a surprising, but very welcome), 17% mid-morning. I added to my holding last week and used today rise to see and bank some modest gains. Back on watch list with a note to review next week when todays news has been settled in. #WJG

Whist the opportunity was there I sold Doctor Martens at 99p to bank a 14% gain in 40 days. Further to go, extremely likely, but the FTSE feels toppy to me. Happy to sit on my hands with DM until the share price sits convincingly above £1 for a while. 6 month #DOCS chartbelow.

Stockchallenge.co.uk October challenge starts on Monday (29th Sept) so only the weekend to get your five choices together.

....ending the week flat. Added to Watkin Jones & enthusiastically to Reach at current levels. In and out of long positions in the #DAX & #FTSE100. index trades now closed for the weekend. Maybe reduce a few of my share positions next week. #WJG #RCH

Album of the week. I saw Supertramp on their Crime of the Century tour live at the Birmingham Odeon. Such a great venue and attracted all the top bands in the 70s. To see so many at such close quarters was truly amazing though it was just routine to me at the time. Support was Joan Armatrading.

Had my buy orders filed for Reach and Watkin Jones during the day thus adding to two existing holdings. (16 holdings currently + 10% cash) #RCH #WJG

Gone long on the #DAX this morning. Buy orders sitting for #WJG, #RCH and #WRKS

Lacklustre week for me so far. Just closed a small day trade on the #FTSE100 whilst its in front. Best deal so far has been double clubcard points on a multi pack of chunky kit kats.That's how dull it's been.

B & M share price moving nicely along powered by substantial purchases by the new CEO, sufficient to dismiss them as a "window dressing". Lets hope it because the next results will be reporting an improvement in like for like sales. That's what's needed to move the share price forward. #BME