RushNet Inc (RSHN)

[billytbone]

There is much confusion and rumor regarding “T Trades” in the penny stock market. Pink Sheet stocks often close at a certain price and, within 3-10 minutes after the closing bell, will show a large final trade that gets labeled as an “after hours” trade. Simply put, this is an inaccurate description of that trade.

To understand how this trade works, one must understand the role of the market maker. The most frustrating aspect of investing in the pennies, is market maker manipulation of the stock price. Anyone that claims this manipulation doesn’t happen truly does not understand the OTC Market. Market makers are in place to “control” the price of a stock and, theoretically, to ensure that the market reacts properly to supply and demand for a certain stock. Unfortunately, when large sums of money and a lack of regulation are involved, more often than not, there is manipulation that suits the needs of certain investors or the market makers themselves. After all, they are in business to make money as well. If the average investor is purchasing stocks in the OTC Market, that investor is truly at the mercy of the market makers involved in the purchase and sale of that security.

To avoid creating “an unbalanced market”, market makers often do not report certain trades during the day to the public and then use a T Trade not to “scare” investors into thinking a market for that stock is going in one direction or the other at the spurring of one large investor.

If a market maker wants to accumulate a large amount of a stock in one trading day, that market maker may actually not report any of the trades that occurred until the trading day has ended so as not to alert the market to the collection. This practice is completely legal under the FINRA rules of the OTC Markets so long as the trade is reported at the end of the day.