disappointing, page-11

Areo...

Not one section of you post actually relates to what I am talking about...either your comprehension skills are somewhat lacking, or you just went and posted something...anything...just to fill space?

I am talking about on-screen "manipulation", trading pattern "ploys", auto-bot algorithmic churn, all manner of bid stacking and pulling and selling (and buying)...all methods that are designed to force the price in a certain direction...and all of which relates to certain participants playing games to give false impressions of either buying or selling interest.

Or in other words, to "MANIPULATE" the on screen activity to create an unnatural market (a false market), to which the dweeb punters react like sheep.

Added to the equation here...and in many other stocks at various times...we have the introduction of auto-bot algorithmic trading systems...which, depending on whether they have been set to "net buy"...or..."net sell"...will churn the stock to meet their mathematical quota!

For example, in the case of the "net buy" setting, the system will continuously feed out small (100-1000 share sell orders), either at market, or to the top of the sell queue (or both depending on the specific parameters of the trading patterns presented)...and will engage in a fully automated process of buying two, selling one...feeding out crumbs and grabing the odd large line from time to time, either at-market, or from disgruntled holders.

All of this is "activity" is based on the existence of "outsiders" in the depth queue, (or in other words, anybody but them), which effectively makes trading such stocks impossible if you happen to be selling against the systems goals!

The very existence of your order will often engage a response from the "auto-bot" making it impossible to get a winning trade on most occasions!

I have played off against these systems many times before...if you are big enough (or small enough...lol), you can actually outsmart them, often forcing them to adjust their "buy-sell" parameters (this is usually done by a manual operator), to account for your "interference" in their cosy little process.

If you have ever placed a sell order for example, only to have another smaller order instantly (milliseconds) appear below yours...chances are you are in the zone of their trading parameters. Amend your order down one point and the auto-bot will typically move down in front of you yet again. They will however have a lower limit for their sell orders, after which they will typically buy any orders that appear.

Meanwhile, the auto-bot has a buy order also waiting at the top of the buy queue, hoping you (or someone else), will react to their continuously lower sell order (or trickle sales) and dump into their waiting orders.

lol...if you should happen to buy their sell order however, not only have you outsmarted them, but they are now forced to buy those shares back. Do this to them more than once, and they will typically knock the program up a few points, which effectively raises their buy order settings, as well as pushes up their sell order settings!

All the while, they feed out minuscule orders (relative to their buy orders), in a constant stream, to maintain selling at all times...it is this particular aspect that infuriates me, as their is no argument that could possibly support the need for such a system to feed out a constant stream of small (below marketable parcels) share sales...often minute by minute...other than to effect the normal trading of said stock!

Anyway, this is but one example of the sort of manipulative activity that takes place consistently in numerous stocks virtually every day!

Another classic is the king-hit approach, where large orders are apparently traded at key high or low points, (or just pivot points), giving the impression of "big buyers" or "big sellers"...lol...when in actual fact they are nothing but transfers between "friendlies". It is amazing what such large orders can do the markets intra-day sentiment for a stock.

GDN for example clearly has a net seller or sellers...pretty much from the Monday morning open. This is a genuine situation that can happen to any stock at any time...and may or may not relate to the company’s prospects. There is nothing unusual here...yet!

Now...where it does get a little "iffy" is when, as if often the case, such knowledge is telegraphed to certain market participants (perhaps between brokers), who then recognise an opportunity. lol...and even if they didn't "get word", such selling is after all pretty obvious to spot, so would likely extract a similar response...after which they take advantage of the net selling volumes for a manipulated "swing trade".

They can see that decent volumes want out and figure that even if they have to "spend" say 1m shares or so to knock the price down, they will likely be able to pick them all back up (and then some), from this seller for less!

As part of the process, bids are pulled, sell side stacked and a constant selling pressure applied (often simply buy/sell swaps between themselves)...with the view to picking up as much stock as possible at the new low levels before finally taking the breaks of at some point in the future.

The auto-bots are the tell tale "signatures" of such a play...but they are not always employed. Even when they are not however, the same basic algorithmic process applies, albeit manually run.

Often these stings have absolutely nothing to do with management and everything to do with the sentiment and profile of the free-float shareholders.

Sometimes however, judging by various announcements, it would appear that some companies are at time somewhat complicit to some extent.

Sadly, GDN is highly susceptible to such activity in my view, in spite of management’s apparent attempt to provide upbeat announcements...but perhaps will be less so once this little sting is over and the share price gaps up on the next lot of news, effectively locking out all the shadow jumpers.

Cheers!