FWIW, my answer to your question. Yes they might manufacture a closing price especially a new HOD to get people who want a stock that is "finishing strong" or maybe to put the price just barely above a particular moving average, or above some pivot points, or above a previous resistance level so that it is more likely to be picked up on your scan, or just jumps out at you from the chart. The way to tell is to look at your time & sales data for the telltale low volume trade at the very end of the trading day, which should at the very least raise your suspicion level.
This is my opinion, of course. Hope it helps.
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