One further thing that is worth holding in mind. Both the...

One further thing that is worth holding in mind. Both the original holders of the shares that are loaned out to shorters, and the shorters themselves, all understand that the reduced price that shorting reduces the trading price to, is ARTIFICIALLY LOW and TEMPORARY. There is no advantage to anybody to have that price stay at such low levels. So it will not stay there for long.

The Israeli Retirement Fund for instance, if by chance they had loaned some of their shares out to shorters, would not consider it to be an acceptable result if the value of their shares remained for long at such an artificial and unjustifiably low price. How could that be a reasonable outcome of charging a paltry rental fee for a handful out of their holdings? Are they stupid? I think not.

So we can and should take comfort in the knowledge that Meitav Dash assessed the value of the WBT shares it bought to represent good value; a fair price at the time it bought them, and even better value to come in the foreseeable future. They have people working for them that can do such clear sighted value analyses. We can take confidence from their assessment I think.

And by not taking fright when we see shorters hoovering up shares they manage to shake loose from frightened small holders, we help to keep the (inset your preferred uncomplimentary term for such people here) wary of forcing the price so low. If they lose their shirt for once most of us will simply cheer to see them burn.