It was the most positive start to a trading week for a while as a good end to the week in the US suggested that maybe the worst was over. The FTSE100 saw a 76 point gain. However, the trend reversed on Tuesday and Wednesday with all of those gains and more wiped from the main index. Trading was thin as investors held off awaiting some positive signs from New York. As usual in times of uncertainty, it was tech stocks which bore the brunt of it with the sector well marked down. London stood up reasonably well given the panic which seemed to be sweeping the NASDAQ. On Thursday, the bulls were in the ascendancy although it was difficult to judge whether it was pure bargain hunting or not. Another good overnight performance in the US helped Friday off to a fine start and, with one or two exceptions, all levels of the market benefitted. Nice to end the week on a blue note.

The Weekly BB Review

Smellie and dodddy's big night out is almost upon us. If you haven't posted up your menu preferences, please add your entry here - London night Out 26th Oct, menu selection and venue details pls post asap. If you would like to go along and haven't registered an interest, I'm sure the guys can find an extra place or two. It promises to be one of the highlights of the year.

The chart for TeleCity (TCY) looks pretty grim, with no obvious sign of any support level to aim for, being such a recent addition to the market. Both the wah and Blueday were hoping to see a change of fortunes when the results were published this week but the share price continued to slide. The results were certainly encouraging and, allowing for the big investment in infrastructure which is under way, the losses seemed fairly modest. The Chairman's statement was full of encouragement (as you'd expect) and the plans outlined seemed emminently achievable. I guess they are just suffering from the general fallout hitting all tech stocks. It has to end sometime, but don't hold your breath. A 50 point fall on Friday did nothing to instil any confidence in a quick revival.

Gracekelly kicked off a good debate with US Market is crazy! this week, beginning by listing a whole host of news items which, on the face of it, should have been positive enough to give the NASDAQ a boost, rather than slide the way it has of late. BRAVE summed it up for me with "sentiment is everything", but capitalist made some very valid points about the American phsyche. PW pointed the finger at bearish comments from company's about future prospects overriding good results while starseeker implied that, to a degree, small investors had called the strategy wrong, becoming bullish at a time which gave institutional sellers an opportunity to bail out. As Addo pointed out, both NASDAQ and DJIA are hovering around important psychological barriers which could again hit "sentiment" if breeched. While bones and Dougal debated the sense (or nonsence) of P/Es in relation to tach stocks, morse code seemed happy to bargain hunt. Clem was more interested in the history of market crashes, a subject which I know PW has researched at great length in the past. Read in conjunction with * US STOCKS - October 2000 * which is far too long and detailed to precis here, there is a good overall picture of the BB view of the way ahead in the US and how it is likely to impact the LSE. It is always worth a look at the charts TechNet has created at the beginning of the thread. With this much interest in the land across the pond, it is almost getting to the point when we will need a special BB just for US followers.

I must admit, like The Player, I expected a bit more chatter about ADVFN.com during the week. Maybe everyone was frightened to tempt fate! Run up to The Results, Reaching the Sunlit Uplands .... has been running for a while with lots of speculation as to how the first set of interim results might turn out. The company prospectus never suggested they would be in profit for a while yet, so a lot of debate was around how much was left in the coffers after the flotation. DocProc voiced the feelings of many when he questioned the revenue generation of banner advertising related to page impressions. The results, when they came, were generally ahead of expectations, although they cover a period when the company was in its embryonic stages and don't really reflect the progress made lately. ADVFN .....Results are out tells the story. An unfortunate failure by Colt Telecom let the side down for a short time early in the morning but service was soon resumed. MD, Mike Boydell later appeared on Bloomberg TV to give one of many interviews scheduled for the day and came across very well. Let's hope there is some positive press over the weekend to give the share price a push farther northwards.

In an effort to broaden the topics under discussion as much as anything, capitalist started Wimpey building up a head of Steam this week to bring the spotlight on the building sector. Although the main target for the thread was George Wimpey, it soon broadened to take in others in the sector with Minerva (gausie)and Beazer Homes (crocodile) getting into the act. I have been in and out of BZR since they first launched and follow them and the sector with interest. As gausie rightly says, in times of uncertainty, people prefer to be in cash and property and these companies then take the benefit. A sadly under-rated sector which deserves better coverage.

As though by accident, AnthonyJB has found a new lease of life trading indices and, together with March and Timeliner seems to have developed a system which allows him to generate revenue on a "need-to-have" basis and in a way which allows evening activity. (see No SEX, no RELIGION, no POLITICS, no RACISM = The boring thread :-( which starts in pretty traditional manner and gets more interesting and fun as it proceeds!) Pity poor Timeliner who missed some good opportunities because his tea was ready!

The meeting this week of the East Anglian Mountain Rescue Investment Club seemed to be more an exercise in logistics than investment. AnthonyJB obviously intended the evening to go swimmingly and booked in a B&B, and Dead Cat Bounce had the all-important catering manager's role for the night. The location sounded fine but nobody seemed to know where it was. Novision eventually came up with a map and directions but then, sadly, was unable to make the event through the vagaries of the rail system and JonC was unwell (hope you've recovered a little now) and had to bow out but Prinnytoo was happy with at least one course of the menu. Funny how little investment talk there is........ Good luck guys!

It has taken a while but QSP Group looked to be coming good this week, much to the delight of Toogood. When Quality Software Products (the com) was kicked off by NickB last December, the picture was entirely different. A lot of muddy water has gone under the bridge since then. BROCKMAN and Novision applied the usual scientific analysis to their decision-making ( :=)) to buy in in September. JPMorgan has kept the newsflow coming and it looks as though the 90p target might soon be in sight if progress continues as at present.

There is a wealth of IT talent on the BB which is now being funnelled into a single thread to try to help sort out those quirky little technical problems with PCs which can leave you tearing your hair out. If you have any questions, this is the place to look for a answer. PC & MAC CLINIC - On line problem solving. Thanks to crocodile for all of the advice and DocProc for the useful links. The surgery is always open and I'm sure will provide an invaluable service. Thank you guys!

The ADVFN BBers SETI Team continues to thrive. The User is heading for the 250 results mark quite quickly and the Team as a whole will have clocked up nearly 1000 results by now. I downloaded Version 3.0 of the SETI software after Pooh kindly pointed out is was now available (see ADVFN SETI Team) and it certainly appears to be a bit quicker than Version 2.4. Next time you have completed a set, take the opportunity to download the newer version. It only takes a few minutes and seems to work very well. (Don't forget to change your screensaver option back to "blank screen" when you've finished.) Thank you all for joining the Team.

Meanwhile, in the Land of the Free.......

When TTP Communications (TTC) came to the market on Friday 13th, I did wonder if they were tempting fate - especially as the tech sector was still in turmooil. However, Cantab and marilyn were quick to point out the potential and APSOO and simonrobeson were convinced that there was a good play in the making. ducktack too sounded all enthusiasm while APSOO was left to re-assure TRACT that he had made a good decision in switching from Parthus which had had a good run and looked like running out of steam. Shares in TTC continued to rise thru Friday and ended the week a very healthy 295p - up 14p on the day.

The will they, won't they debate continued this week in Telewest - Takeover is on again (TWT) as the communications sector began to look a lot healthier, with the sad exception of Telewest. gareth_ap's idea that three denials makes a truth doesn't seem to be working but the rumours do persist that NTL are interested. Of course, they have their own problems with news of their pay-per-view deal with the English Premier League being scuttled. A lot of guys are into TWT at prices way beyond current targets and it will take something of a miracle. Only WESTHAM seems to be confident that something is coming - but does insist on SHOUTING, much to DavB's annoyance. (In truth, it is not good netiquette to use upper case.) The shares bobbled about a bit this week and ended the final session slightly off at 109.5p bid - not enough there to calm worried minds.

Have Redstone Telecom come off the floor now? That is certainly the hope in redstone another good one! with Bundmar a clear fan. The recent chart looks promising but is it just grabbing at the coat-tails of the general improvement in communications stocks this week? cagney15 sees no growth in the current situation but, as mooseman pointed out, the CEO was very upbeat about prospects on SMTM this week, hinting at good results coming next time round. The price continued to show blue during Friday and finished the final session a little ahead at 225p bid. Maybe worth keeping a weather eye on.

If you're going to push a share, you might as well make a good job of it and come up with a snappy, no-holds barred title. Don't beat about the bush! That must have been in johnmfrancis' mind when he launched Axiomlab is the share of the decade !! a couple of weeks ago. He also predicted an imminent market crash just for good measure which Jellytots questioned and Luthor reacted to very well with a reasoned argument why it wouldn't happen. petefirks was more interested in where "£1 by December 2001" might have come from. By this week, newdaddy was still holding - although he bought at a bargain price, but Farthing Ted was beginning to raise doubts about whether the share price was stuck in a rut or not. hightone got caught up in the flack as the fish seemed to forget that there are a lot of people out there who read rather than contribute but who are nonetheless a part of the scene. ck left us with a suggestion of "news next week" I can't wait! :=) The market couldn't wait either as the share price was marked down to 13p bid on the day. Good fun, so long as the tempers don't become too frayed!

There was a veritable plethora of good postings on both Bulletin Boards again this week, with the mood much brighter as the week wore on into blueness. This week I award the Poster of the Week prize to toadtrader for his excellent work on FTSE 100/ DEC FTSE FUTURE 'OUTLOOK'. He has obviously researched the subject in depth and describes his thoughts well in words and charts. Congratulations toadtrader! If you will e-mail me a delivery address, I will see that your prize finds it way to you very soon.

Still more entries are needed for the ADVFN Who's Who! Let your fellow BBers know a little about who you are. If you aren't yet on the list, drop me a few lines about yourself - (a full editing service is provided!) Take a look at the list so far if you want some ideas for how to put a brief bio together. (ADVFN Who's Who) No e-mail addresses are published unless specifically requested by you. Click here for my mail address -



Good Hunting!