info shortingWhat Is a Bear Raid? A bear raid is an illegal practice of colluding to push a stock's price lower through concerted short selling, while spreading negative rumors about the shorted company.
Hedge funds have an incredible supply of short shares available to borrow. This advantage has allowed them to manipulate a stock's share price by initiating short-ladder attacks. While supply and demand are pushing a stock's price up, hedge funds short the stock using an insane amount of leverage.
Even a single trader can move the trading volume of a stock higher on any given day by repeatedly buying and selling shares between two separate trading accounts. Churning is another example of a subtle form of stock manipulation.
Short selling is a risky trade but can be profitable if executed correctly with the right information backing the trade. In a short sale transaction, a broker holding the shares is typically the one that benefits the most, because they can charge interest and commission on lending out the shares in their inventory. So the broker who holds YOUR shares lends them to a Shorter/Hedgefund to devalue your investment...REALLY...why is this legal?
Is stock bashing a crime? This activity may be illegal under laws governing activities on the stock market, depending on regulations. They could be considered a form of securities fraud if bashers operate with the goal to drive prices down to damage a company or create an opportunity for investors.