Question

Difficulty: MediumProhibited Market Manipulation and Fraudulent Practices

Match each prohibited market practice with its correct regulatory description.

  • CappingEntering sell orders for a security to prevent its market price from rising above a specific target level.
  • PeggingEntering buy orders for a security to prevent its market price from falling below a specific target level.
  • Marking the CloseExecuting transactions near the end of the trading day to artificially influence a security's reported closing price.
  • Cornering the MarketAcquiring control of a sufficient amount of an asset's floating supply to dictate its market price.

Answer

Capping matches placing sell orders to prevent price increases above a threshold; Pegging matches placing buy orders to prevent price decreases below a threshold; Marking the Close matches executing trades near market close to manipulate reported settlement prices; Cornering the Market matches acquiring control over an asset's supply to dictate prices.
Each practice reflects a distinct manipulative trading mechanism prohibited under securities regulations. Capping uses sell orders to suppress price growth above a target. Pegging uses buy orders to support price levels above a floor. Marking the Close relies on execution timing right before market close to alter closing price data. Cornering the Market relies on supply control to force price inflation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prohibited practice of capping
Identify that capping suppresses upward price movement via sell orders to cap the market price.
Capping targets an upper price bound to keep options or market prices below a specific strike/threshold.
2
Analyze the prohibited practice of pegging
Identify that pegging supports lower price bounds via buy orders to hold market price at or above a floor.
Pegging creates artificial demand to prevent a stock price from dropping below a target level.
3
Analyze marking the close
Identify that marking the close targets the final trading period to manipulate official closing prices.
Closing prices affect daily account valuations, NAVs, and margin calls, making late trading manipulation illegal.
4
Analyze cornering the market
Identify that cornering involves dominating asset supply to dictate trading terms.
Gaining excessive control over circulating supply allows a market participant to unfairly control market pricing.

Key Concept

Forms of Prohibited Market Manipulation under FINRA and SEC Rules
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