RE:RE:RE:VolumeNo problem Lambo, it is a grey area I suppose, but the thinking is, as a stock becomes more followed it can become more volatile and therefore easier to manipulate. I believe we saw some of this last fall. The market maker , within reason is there to do exactly that, "make a market", so that no small investor or group of investors can force large fluctuations. Generally the MM does not hold stock over night, he is just trying to keep things smooth, organized, and efficient throughout the day. Btw it is not all manipulation either. If for example Joe puts in a market sell order for 100,000 shares, first he is an idiot, but more importantly if there is only one buyer at the current price and only for 10,000 shares then the price will tic down and down until the 100,000 is filled. The MM is supposed to monitor this action and buy it within a few cents then hold it until he can clear it out of his inventory in the next hour or hours as buyers arrive as they invariably always do. Hope that helps