Lithium hodlers crying manipulation and placing entire blame on shorters are in complete DENIAL.
First, shorts are legal, whether you like it or not, whether you think it is immoral or not, it does not matter what you think, the instos are doing it just as everyone doing to make money. Instead of fearing shorts would compromise your position over an extended period of time, you elect to show Defiance because increasingly due to social media, people have developed defiance tendencies, don't yield but show strength to oppose in numbers. Yeah, as if you can beat the war chest of the instos. I am too oppose to shorts, as I have never ever shorted, not even once.
But more importantly, people ought to recognise why the shorters are winning. Because the stock fundamental and macro outlook has deteriorated while ASX lithium majors are still trading at elevated PE multiples well above their international peers. To me, on valuation basis, that is a 'no-brainer' for shorts.
Market participants rather want to remain in defiance of the trend until they get to the point they can't take it anymore. At that point, buying interests evaporated and we reach a bottom that would linger for a protracted time. It occurs everywhere in all stocks that experienced over-exuberance with consequent mean reversion process.
If one chooses to blame others for your stocks woes instead of taking full responsibility to decide what is best for yourself including possibly selling or reducing your position to stay out of harm's way, that the blame lies squarely on yourself.
If someone pushes the stock up (with no good reason), it is not manipulation, but when the stock is sold down, it is.
It is after all a public traded company, if you don't want your 'house to be invaded' (as some would call it) then buy a wholly owned private company.
