RE:1.81There are probably less than 1000 retail accounts holding this stock (not including retail that holds indirectly through mutual funds). Some of these are likely margin accounts. Margin eligibility (at least at some Canadian institutions) ends at 2.00. But you have 2 days for the stock to recover, or to cover. But it's a BIG cover.
It's my contention that the institutions, and the traders who manage the banks trading positions (not the positions they hold on behalf of others) have complete visibility on every retail account in the country. So they know who they can push to generate a 'probably unmeetable' margin call by breaking the 2.00 barrier and holding it underwater to force a cover or sell. This being over-and-above their ability to force 'capitulation based on demoralization in the retail community.
These guys just put out a fully financed budget for 2018. There's 0 chance of them being forced into a 'life or death' funding event in 2018. But they're trading at a P/B ratio of .31.
AND the very managed vertical decline went 'superparabolic' yesterday and broke the near vertical declining channel to the downside - no mean feat when you consider how steep it was. Watch for the miracle bounce next week after the margin holders have been forced to sell to cover, and the despondent retail trade has capitulated.
Crazy? The standard trope is that 'the market's too big to manipulate - there are too many players'. Few question that, but I think it's completely false. The insiders know EVERYTHING. It's why almost every retail investor has stories of selling at the very lowest point, immediately before a bounce. MAYBE every retail trader is just really dumb and really unlucky, but I think my theory holds more water.