Guide to the Confused: SP 500 Futures Intraday - 'Technical Trade'

 

The market, in the absence of a major exogenous event, is running on autopilot, with the algorithmic computers and trend following traders driving it back and forth within pre-programmed levels of support and resistance.

The SP 500 futures are just an example. This same market rigging thing takes place in many other markets including important world markets such as metals, energy, and foodstuffs.

....because of their collocation and speed, the computer trading algos can front run almost every transaction and skim a small percentage off it, and absent real volume use wash trades to drive the price where they will. And in the aggregate at least, their market positioning allows them to 'see what is in your hand, what cards you are holding.'.....

Yes there is always corruption in markets, despite what the naturally efficient markets theorists from the monied interests' bastions of intellectual folly and deception might maintain. But at certain times in history the distortions in the markets become so great, so predominant, so extreme, that they crowd out much of the productive and creative investment activity. In the resulting outcome, the inevitable return to normalcy, society in general can suffer greatly for the greed of the few.

 ...................jessescrossroadscafe