Plunge Protection Team

[riskadverse]

Do you believe the government is active in trying to manipulate the market via the Plunge Protection Team (PPT)?

A couple of years ago this was considered "tin foil hat" stuff, but I'm curious if that is still the general consensus.


a. NO . . . the PPT is strictly "tin foil hat" stuff
b. Maybe -
c. YES . . . of course - it's just another knob they use to try and control the economy

 

[Leonidas]

Do you believe the government is active in trying to manipulate the market via the Plunge Protection Team (PPT)

I pick "B - Maybe". Today was different and I am curious about the rally at the end of the day. Where did that money come from - the PPT?

 

[LOL!]

I don't understand the point of the question because there is definitely a PPT in place today and they are trying hard to manipulate things. There is even legislation that gives them the power to do so. It's all out there in public view now, so anyone who says NO to your question just isn't paying attention or is hallucinating.

 

[audreyh1]

Were they the ones buying AAPL today?

It's well documented that they exist. The Washington Independent » The Plunge Protection Team
I guess the real question was whether they try to manipulate the market?

Audrey

 

[haha]

If there is a plunge protection team, they all need to be traded. Maybe swap with Iceland?

 

[Leonidas]

I guess the real question was whether they try to manipulate the market?

I may be misreading the OP, but I thought that was the question. Although option A does allow for the conspiracy believers. The group does not own up to buying stocks. Here is there most recent statement. http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp1177.htm

 

[Gone4Good]

If by "plunge protection" you mean "trying to prevent cascading business failures that result in a new Great Depression" . . . then yes.

 

[al_bundy]

PPT, where are you?

 

[snodog]

PPT, where are you?

Maybe they gave up and are now naked shorting.

 

[ls99]

Gone with the lemmings?

 

[ziggy29]

The plunge(r) got stuck in the toilet along with the market and the economy.

 

[riskadverse]

I personally believe there is a PPT. When the president (past and present) focuses on the short term gyrations of the market and makes public comments on the performance, it seems natural to me that his regime would try and influence the market by all reasonable means. I usually watch the closing hour of the market, and it astounds me the number of times the market attempts or achieves just above a round number on a rising day, and just below a round number on a falling day. It's like someone is in charge of making sure that the newscasts will report: the DOW lost 295 points today rather than the DOW lost more than 300 points today. And conversely, the DOW gained more than 300 points today rather than the DOW gained 295 points today. Around 10 minutes to close, I try and predict what approximate number would sound best on the evening news, and watch the "market" extend or reverse the trend to try and achieve that number.

 

[mathjak107]

they have to be just as bad as those supposed worlds worse price fixers at the oil companies

 

[al_bundy]

I personally believe there is a PPT. When the president (past and present) focuses on the short term gyrations of the market and makes public comments on the performance, it seems natural to me that his regime would try and influence the market by all reasonable means. I usually watch the closing hour of the market, and it astounds me the number of times the market attempts or achieves just above a round number on a rising day, and just below a round number on a falling day. It's like someone is in charge of making sure that the newscasts will report: the DOW lost 295 points today rather than the DOW lost more than 300 points today. And conversely, the DOW gained more than 300 points today rather than the DOW gained 295 points today. Around 10 minutes to close, I try and predict what approximate number would sound best on the evening news, and watch the "market" extend or reverse the trend to try and achieve that number.

the official name is Working Group on the Capital Markets, or something like that. It's an inter-agency group but i can't remember who is on it. It was created after October 1987 because the losses that day were so bad that a lot of banks were on the verge of BK because they all trade on margin and couldn't pay their counterparties.

the reason for the late trading is that institutional investors start trading after lunch. used to be around 3pm, but i i've read it's around 1:30pm now

 

[mathjak107]

well we can help the budget gap by firing them all...... im starting to think maybe a market this bad is linked to terrorism......

they seem to be doing a better job then the plunge protection group if both are true

 

[ziggy29]

well we can help the budget gap by firing them all...... im starting to think maybe a market this bad is linked to terrorism......

Hmm. Are Osama and Company loading up on those ultrashort ETFs?

 

[unclemick]

The plunge(r) got stuck in the toilet along with the market and the economy.

Hey - I'm back from New Orleans(healthy twins Mardi Gras day) and visiting Bush, Slidell and a couple places around Chattanooga in Alabama and Georgia.

I thought Ziggy was 'our forum's plunge protector' with his timing.

So I get back last night and and turn on the tv?



heh heh heh - ok ok soooo what's a little market fluctuation among friends . What? You want I should cry? Picked up 10 lbs in 8 days - mostly New Orleans food.

3108.6 miles roughly speaking - give or take.

 

[W2R]

Hey - I'm back from New Orleans(healthy twins Mardi Gras day) and visiting Bush, Slidell and a couple places around Chattanooga in Alabama and Georgia.

I thought Ziggy was 'our forum's plunge protector' with his timing.

So I get back last night and and turn on the tv?



heh heh heh - ok ok soooo what's a little market fluctuation among friends . What? You want I should cry? Picked up 10 lbs in 8 days - mostly New Orleans food.

3108.6 miles roughly speaking - give or take.

Hey, I *lost* a pound spending about the same length of time in Missouri over Mardi Gras! I can see me now - - trim, svelte, even athletic in my retirement years....

Don't worry about the market. As you have pointed out before, Vanguard's computers are busily rebalancing your target retirement funds. Plus, your SO has twin grandchildren born on Mardi Gras. Life is good.

 

[Koolau]

I suppose the reason I doubt most "conspiracy theory" concepts is that few conspirators in history have ever been able to keep the secret for any length of time. If ANY information about this "team" has been shared with ANY member of congress, the jig is already up, heh, heh.

Yes, there are certainly efforts to stop the plunge, but even though the details are kept from us when legislation is passed, it all comes out (admittedly after it's too late) eventually.

Would our gummint try to pull a fast one. Sure, but there's always someone who would blow the whistle just for the political advantage it might give them (not because it's the right thing to do). So while you can't trust humans, you can count on human nature. (Was that profound or is my blood sugar just low? Think I better do lunch.)