June 18, 2009
As a small investor that has been in the market a short
period of time, I have notice a disturbing trend that
has my investment value rise and drop over 30 percent
many times during the last three months. The main thing that I am concerned with is the ability of a broker to
loan my shares to someone in an attempt to drive the price
of my shares down enough for me to want to cut losses and
move on. To me this is fundamentally unfair, as I am being
attacked by my own shares, short sellers, and the very
brokerage that should be looking out for my best interests.
To eliminate the uptick rule seems like a good start to
help eliminate the casino type investment that has been
going on for some time. But, if you really want to help
investors like me that are looking to keep money in the
U.S. economy for the long haul, then placing restrictions
on brokerage short sale loans without owners being notified
could go a long way toward the transparency that is talked
about. Essentially, if my shares are being used against
me, and someone is making a profit (broker)from that, it
would seem appropriate to have this information disclosed
so that I can make a more informed decision about where
and with whom to invest my money.
There are many other issues, and I know the SEC has a
considerable task ahead considering the entrenched
interests that are capitalizing on a sluggish economy.
But to ignore the basics by trying to regulate the
complex does little for the average investor. All I
expect is a level playing field where rewards for my
ability to pick and choose sound investments are not
undermind by large investors that have the ability to
manipulate stock prices based on misinformation and the
size of their accounts. Let them too rely on their
ability. If this is done, then real transparency can
occur, since there will be no way to hide shortcomings.
Their profits or losses will be enough to expose them as
either good or bad investors, rather than skillful
manipulators.
Thank your for the opportunity to participate in this
discussion.
Respectfully,
Shannon Hart