Indeed, just like Matt Levine says everything is potentially securities fraud, everything is probably also market manipulation. Bank analysts are constantly pu

Indeed, just like Matt Levine says everything is potentially securities fraud, everything is probably also market manipulation. Bank analysts are constantly putting out "ratings" on stocks, price targets, etc. Articles all over the internet and tv are saying to buy this stock or that. What I find strange is that if all the WSB subreddit just put their money into their own wsb-fund that just bought up all the heavy shorted stocks and did exactly the same thing, they'd call the fund manager a genius. Market manipulation and pump and dump schemes should refer to the spread of dishonest information in order to move a stock price. But things like short-interest is a public number and the hedge funds self-admitted to being short these stocks--it's not like they went around saying "I got a secret tip that a hedge fund is very short this stock, let's buy it". Shouldn't it be obvious that just taking the opposite trade to a hedge fund can't be market manipulation, unless taking the same side as a hedge fund would also be market manipulation?