???? - Reading Market-Maker Signals See the signs and messages they send each other
Many traders believe that market makers will "signal" moves in advance buy using small amounts of buys or sells as "signals". The "signals" are from one market maker to another.
100 I need shares. 200 I need shares badly, but do not take the stock down. 300 Take (or I am taking) the price down so I can load shares 400 Keep trading it sideways. 500 Gap the stock.
Why signals? Why not just message or email?
One simple reason... calling/emailing one or more of the other market makers and telling them to "take the price down" or "I am going to gap the stock" would be 100% ILLEGAL. Collusion at it's finest. If caught, handcuffs could replace their Rolex for a trip downtown.
We've worked on OTC/Agency (Nasdaq and OTC-BB) desks and worked with many actual market makers. We can attest that many market makers will use certain signals. Some will use fake bids/offers to trick individual investors and day traders. They are still responsible for those bids/offers and would have to buy or sell there if their bid or offer is hit, but they post those to make others think they have an order and do not really want to buy or sell there.
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