• dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    69
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    7 months ago

    The whole idea of short selling is wild and feels like it should be illegal, so I’m totally OK with informing people how to prevent what they see of as an investment from getting loaned to people who are only trying to devalue that investment.

    However, it is funny coming from a guy who has probably done more shortselling in the last hour than most people will do in their lifetimes. It’s also scummy to recommend paying to use a holding company he probably owns or gets kickbacks from.

    • Armok_the_bunny@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      31
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      7 months ago

      The whole stock market is gambling, short selling is just the way to profit on the prediction of a price going down instead of up. Really short selling is one of the least sketchy things the stock market does, because at least it’s public how it works.

    • UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      The problem is not short selling, the problem are rich people manipulating the market in ways that should definitely be illegal.

      How it’s allowed to first short a stock and then release some “secret” (and often partly or complete bullshit) info is beyond me.

      • Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        7 months ago

        See - Headline after headline about bits falling off “Boeing” planes, when they were sold by Boeing twenty years ago and badly maintained for the last ten

        🤨

          • Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            5
            ·
            7 months ago

            Dunno but if I didn’t service my car I wouldn’t blame the manufacturer when bits start falling off it

        • UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          How does this have anything to do with short selling? Besides, parts are falling of and their own engineers are speaking out against Boeing. That’s not to mention the multiple crashes that were 100% preventable, foreseeable and Boeings fault.

    • Fal@yiffit.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      7 months ago

      Why do you think short selling should be illegal? It’s just borrowing shares

      • MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        35
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        7 months ago

        The way the stock market should work is someone investing money in a company they believe in. If the company does well, then you can receive dividends and/or sell some later on to turn a profit.

        But greedy people have turned it into a game, into gambling. People who do it for a living know all the tricks, have supercomputers, have knowledge of other people’s investments to create algorithms.

        Has almost nothing to do with the company itself. They contribute nothing to society. Borrowing shares to short a stock is just an extension of that. You can make a lot more money that way, but again… it’s gambling, not an investment in a company.

        • Fal@yiffit.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          Most of what you’re saying isn’t really a problem that affects anyone. You can still buy shares and collect dividends. How many shares short, or how often someone buys and sells a stock has 0 bearing on that. In fact all of that actually creates the liquidity that lets you buy fractional shares instead of having to buy in 100 share lots like you use to.

          And short sellers are actually pretty important to the markets. They keep companies honest by having an incentive to investigate and publicize frauds and overvalued companies. People put way too much weight in how much impact shorting has, or people trading derivatives

          • MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            7 months ago

            I appreciate your thoughts. I admit I’m not too involved in shorts and there are bigger issues with the market than that. I just prefer that people wouldn’t bet against a company simply to earn money. It’s not going to change anytime soon, if ever. I just would prefer that stocks for sale were to invest in a company to help it grow, and not… I think this company is gonna crash… let me make money on that prediction.

            • Fal@yiffit.net
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              7 months ago

              I just would prefer that stocks for sale were to invest in a company to help it grow,

              Buying stock on the market has no impact on helping it grow. The only money that goes from investors to the company are from the IPO or any additional share sales, which aren’t common.

        • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          Short selling helps prevent stock market bubbles by correcting overpriced stocks, ensuring prices reflect real value. It also allows investors to hedge against potential losses in their portfolio, making the market more stable and efficient.

          • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            7 months ago

            That’s what stockbrokers say, sure. They don’t actually care, they’re brokers. They make money from the sale regardless, and the more kind of sales and services they can make and charge for, the better off they are.

            Especially when it helps create a labyrinth of industry specific terms and rules they know and you don’t.

            That’s why they were laughing at the GME bullshit, like Redditors thought they were the ones losing money. Every little retail trade had a percentage that went into their pockets.