In reply to mypyrex:
> This is purely out of interest but is there any way of identifying what is causing the fluctuations at any one time? Just curious.
There is a whole industry dedicated to understanding this and forecasting it. Most stocks will go up and down generally at the same time as the market.
The market will move on a combination of economic conditions and forecasts, interest rates, earnings outlook, political, geopolitical outlook etc etc. Individual stocks will move on the back of all the above but also their individual earnings outlook, strategic announcement, industry conditions etc etc.
Cynics will argue it's a "random walk" which, short term, to some extent it is. But in the long term their is a logic to share price movements.
So the short answer to your question is "no", but you can get a clue by reading the financial press every day.