2021 and beyond, page-435

Classic Tree Shake this morning

Once the buyer appetite begins to lessen, the market maker can now use this to their advantage. When the traders stop bidding for stock at high levels and the market maker lowers their bid price, it becomes a Mexican stand-off. A ‘tree shake’ is when the market makers drop the bid in order to lower the share price, in the hope of spooking some private investors into selling their shares. This tactic is employed when buying appetite has weakened, and so the market makers capitalise and widen their spreads to deter further buying.