[widgeon13]

both the company and the analysts would like to have credibility, so it does no one any good long term to mislead the public or the shareholders. If the targets are set and not achieved, the stock reacts. Continued disappointment in the financial community leads institutional investors and analyst away from recommending the stock, which continues to contribute to a poor performance(decline in stock price). US markets and financial community are very much geared to quarterly results which can be very disappointing because companies chase short term results for the stock price rather than slower sustainable positive long term results.

Japanese companies are much the opposite as they are more content to allow longer term results impact stock price.

Manipulation has a negative connotation and illegal as well if it can be proven. A situation like Enron could have been viewed as manipulation since financial records and performance were misrepresented in an effort to continue the escalation of the stock price. Many executives are given options in large numbers that can prove to be very valuable short term if the price of the stock goes up from the option price.