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A comment on Discord bans r/WallStreetBets server, subreddit went private for a while. Parent comment

Re:Discord bans r/WallStreetBets server, subreddit went priv... by ballenf on Thursday January 28, 2021 @07:57AM (#25941195)
What about retail investors who looked at Gamestop before all this and thought it seemed like a reasonable investment, only to get wiped out by "irrational downward pressure" from hedge funds conspiring to short the stock 136%?

We'll have to wait and see a bit, but the huge pop in Gamestock was likely more the result of funds covering shorts, not retail investors continuing to buy at these prices. So it feels really disingenuous to blame retail for these wild swings when they would not have been possible without the irresponsible hedge fund trading that came before.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Discord bans r/WallStreetBets server, subreddit went priv... by fractionalhare on Thursday January 28, 2021 @08:17AM (#25941345)
Hedge funds don't need to conspire for short interest to go over 100%. If a business is widely considered a viable short target, it usually just happens through regular market mechanics. Everyone wants to borrow it to sell it short, and they may end up borrowing it from someone who already bought it from a short seller.
[ Parent | on HN ]