RE:something strangeStrange trading: no, Short selling: yes. Look at the financials, low PE, EPS is almost half the price right now. confirmed dividends, Hedged for 18 months, IMO this company is a target for both takeover (rumors?) and a pretty good bet that with ANY oil price recovery, however modest, will see this rise nicely.
Market Makers are accumulating and fear mongering at any possible chance they can. Look at management making buys, .. says something. MMs are at the moment helping each other to cover their recent short(s) that were concurrent with the bogus Dundee downgrade, IMO where EVER shittybank is involved, there be shorting for sure. This was, again, all IMO, a co-ordinated effort to get shares of this above average company at very low cost. However, they are very small as well and there is risk. Just that a buck a share, the risks are well priced in.
Market makers are walking the pps down to cover as you astutely pointed out - demand (buyers) are being managed by stalls, thats when the sell side is given enough time to build over the demand, then step by step, they walk the price down.
easy peezy .. I am buyer at these levels .. small, incremental buys, with emphasis on sudden bid floor pullouts (drops)...
stay frosty ...