Good read taken from poster, Manthebull
Shorters Manipulate Stock Prices With Smear Campaigns
On the other hand, S&D traders manipulate stock prices in a bear market by taking short positions and then using a smear campaign to drive down the price of the targeted stock. This is the inverse version of the "pump and dump" tactic, whereby crooks buy stock (take a long position) and issue false information that causes the target stock's price to increase.
Generally, it is easier to manipulate stocks to go down in a bear market and up in a bull market. The pump and dump is better known than the S&D because of the long bull market and the media. For example, the stock market had been in a general uptrend in the early to mid 1980s, which provided ample fodder for "pumpers". Movies like "Wall Street" (1987) and "The Boiler Room"(2000) helped educate investors about the risk of this type of stock manipulation. (To read more about stock market movies, see Financial Careers According To Hollywood.)
The S&D shysters try to profit by stimulating fear, but this only works if they have credibility. As such, when working online they will often use screen names and email addresses that imply that they are associated with the SEC or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers), or that they can regularly spot worthless stocks. Their goal is to convince investors that every proponent of the stock has ties to the company and that the SEC is watching and will halt the stock. S&Ds also intimate that they are looking out for investors' interests.
S&D players clutter message boards, so optimistic information cannot easily be found. "Get out before it all comes crashing down" and "Investors who wish to enter a class action lawsuit can contact…" are typical posts, as are their projections of $0 stock prices and 100% losses. If their strategy is suspected by "longs", they attack the person who has caught them. In other words, the market manipulator will do everything in his or her power to keep buyers out of the stock and keep the price heading south.
The Net Effect
When the short and distort maneuver succeeds, investors who initially bought stock at higher prices sell at low prices because of their mistaken belief that the stock is worthless, caused by an effective distortion campaign. At the same time, the S&Ds cover at low prices and lock in their gains.
Right after prominent bankruptcies such as Enron in 2001 or Nortel in 2009, investors could be more susceptible to this type of manipulation than during prosperous periods such as the 1990s in the U.S. During downturns, the first appearance of impropriety could cause investors to run for the hills much easier. As a result, many innocent, legitimate and growing companies could get burned, and investors along with them. (To learn about how you can profit when everyone else is heading for cover, read Profit From Panic Selling.)
How to Identify and Prevent S&D
- Do not believe everything you read - verify the facts.
- Do your own due diligence and discuss it with your broker.
- Hypothecate your stock - take it out of its street name to prevent the short sellers from borrowing and selling it. (Learn more about doing your own due diligence in our related article, Due Diligence In 10 Easy Steps)
The best way to protect yourself is to do your own research. Many stocks with great potential are ignored by Wall Street. By doing your own homework you should feel much more secure in your decisions. And, even if the S&Ds attack your stock, you will be better able to detect their distortions and be less likely to fall prey to them by selling the stock at a loss.
Cheers