daytrade diaries... june 1 part 2

Half-time report: Positive local retail and housing figures helped the ASX push higher this morning after a sluggish start.

At lunchtime, the ASX 200 was up 48 points or 1.3% at 3866 after new data showed consumers are still shopping and the housing market is showing signs of bottoming (- at least according to the Housing Industry Association, if not the ABS. Market gains were led by the materials and mining sectors.

Asian markets were also stronger, with the Nikkei up 0.8% and the Hang Seng charging 1.7%. Dow futures were recently a bullish +43. Gold continued to push towards the $1000 resistance level, adding more than $2 to $982.20.

A solid morning's trading here with bounce trades in BTA (twice), AOE (nice) and PTM (peanuts), a small loss in SGM before it turned north and went exactly where I thought it would before it hit a tight stop-loss and another run on the TTS express when it again opened at the current support level.

Looks like most have prospered this morning - good work.