It is most definitely manipulation at the least and a form of insider trading at the worst. But you can bet nothing will happen about it. The ASX owns its own darkpool as far as I know. Many of the indexes own their own brokerages or so Ive read.
Like the Big Banks in the U.S. getting caught laundering money for Mexican drug cartels and funnelling money into sanctioned banks in Saudi they will just get fined. The fine for the last one was less than 10% of its annual profit.
Which is more profitable? paying the fine or not doing the crime???>
