Interesting 10.5 algo activity, page-19

Morning. Happy to explain why so often the trading looks odd (not just today's which is relatively normal). It's because ours is a crooked and rigged market where regulators selectively apply the law to the benefit of institutions and turn a blind eye to the damage it causes.

If you or I were to place a series of trades to manipulate a stock - ie to get a share price up with a series of stacked trades to avoid a margin call for example, we'd be guilty of a breach of 1041A and probably 1041C and ASIC would do their best to lock us up. Ask some of those poor chumps convicted over the last few years. For trivial offences.

But if we were a broker operating an automated trading system we can try and do exactly the same (and often succeed) with impunity. We can cap, we can stack, we can put on bogus trades and we can use software which gives us a look at stops and all sorts of other info. And we can do it in single shares if we wish.

The % of market volume which is now automated and disingenuous is frightening. It means that true retail investors have the odds stacked against them. And what the moronic regulators and the even more stupid participants fail to realise is that eventually investors will get sick and tired of the rigged nature of it and will do other things with their money. If it wasn't for compulsory super our market would be totally insto by now.

I'm now down to three very concentrated large positions. FAR, a biotech and a potash producer. When the liquidity event happens for each (hopefully!) I'm putting the proceeds into unlisted stuff. Because the integrity of our markets has never been more of a farce. A true insiders game.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. The endless market games annoy me. Still love FAR. But still a bit of time till the Ann - so regrettably we will have to put up with a bit more rubbish yet. And expect the shorters to have a really good crack as soon as it comes out to try and smash the momentum. I really hope it fails this time. Because we must get to the next leg up price-wise. If the numbers are modest (which they are more than likely to be in my view), try not to flip out and sell. They're thinner sands. They are not going to be as prolific. Mandurah is clearly very astute and well-informed as the 2k number he mentioned is also exactly what the company is expecting (but hoping it exceeds). Not 10k.

P.S just realised I haven't answered your question re the vols but it's pretty obvious.

P.P.S We really need a better quality register. More patient capital. More grown-up investors - decent instos etc. It really is time for a decent cornerstone and some proper instos on the register. A combination of all will help. Fingers crossed that Gordon is making progress on that front.