Warning: Our site includes a "virtual trade" system moderated by one or more individuals.  It is not meant to be scientific, complete or accurate.  Investors should use extreme caution in interpreting the information  provided and interpreted by moderators.

Guidelines: Since sell ratings and recommendations tend to be rare among analysts and others, we advise treating downgrades to "hold" and "sell" as short positions and only "strong buy" recommendations as long positions.

 

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Oversight Pages are an innovative way of allowing investors to moderate and keep track of powerful individual influences in Wall Street. For too long, business journalists have been able to say and do what they want without a significant watchful record keeping of their comments and potential biases. For too long, many analysts have gotten away with providing inaccurate research, commentary and recommendations without meaningful organized recorded discussion and debate. For too long, executives and market makers have hid in the shadows of Wall Street. Market Rap's Oversight pages allow multiple moderators and anyone who signs up for free to be a part of the ongoing discussion of people who may (or may not) deserve the power and influence that they enjoy. In short...

 

We bring power back to the investor ...where it belongs.

 

Analyst Oversight - some Wall Street analysts are quiet with the general public and others seem to always make their way into a publication. Some are very accurate and some are not at all accurate. However, all have one thing in common: they have an extraordinary effect on Wall Street and the values that are assigned to companies. But who analyzes the analysts? That's where we come in. And by we, we mean YOU.

Media Oversight - Financial journalists have a unique kind of power. Even a slight suggestions can create a rumor or even move the entire market. There are some who are responsible and there are some who are not. It is our goal here at Market Rap to allow our community to discuss and judge members of this powerful institution. In fact, it is our goal here at Market Rap to allow our community to BECOME a member of this powerful institution.

Market Maker Oversight - Specifically defined in Wall Street, "market makers" are firms that make their money by offering shares on both the "bid" and "ask" of the same securities and making money from the spread. At Market Rap, we have a broader definition of the term: anyone or any entity capable of moving or creating the market. Carl Icahn, by our definition, is a Market Maker which our community can discuss and monitor.

Executive Oversight - Corporate executives are among the richest and most powerful people in the world. Like all of the above Oversight pages, we hope to bring as many individuals and institutions out of the shadows as possible. Rather than making blanket judgments on all executives or all of the company's executives, we encourage our investors to discuss and share knowledge about these people as individuals.

Market Rap's Oversight Pages were inspired by courageous individuals who are out there fighting for the rights of shareholders. We were specifically influenced by the work of Patrick Byrne and several others, who have been hard at work exposing failings and corruption on Wall Street and in financial journalism through their website:

 

 

How to use Oversight: When posting a message in a stock message board you may select one of four Oversight message categories. They are Analyst Coverage, Media Coverage, Market Makers and Executives. After selecting one of these four, you may select an Existing Board with an Oversight page that relates to the stock board you are writing from or you may Create the Board.

For example, lets say your message is about Bill Gates and you are writing it in the MSFT board. You may select "Executives" and check Existing Boards to see if there is already an Oversight Page in his name. You select it or create one by entering his name if it does not exist. Your message is thus sent to both the MSFT board and the Bill Gates Executive Oversight Page.