[trader220]

The implication that the WSJ is working in conjunction with firms to keep a lid on the stock so a tiny number of weekly call options can go out worthless is laughable. Where is the payoff for the WSJ. The OI in those options is very small.

Yea it does mean that a small number of firms working together CANT manipulate a stock like AAPL since its too deep, trades on so many platforms and does massive volume per day.

If you were a principle for one of those "other" firms who by your assertion are being taken advantage of by a few larger firms why in the world would you trade in that market place? There are enough platforms to trade a stock like AAPL and enough liquidity that its a pretty clean market.

I am not saying that as a blanket statement. There are issues that don't trade much in volume and are not listed all over the place and have few firms which are liquidity providers. Those issues have a higher probability of having a firm or firms try and manipulate them. In this day and age even thats not all to easy.

There is not enough OI In the weekly AAPL options for anyone to bother nor would they have much effect on the stock price, given the size and depth of the market in the stock.