Quote from efficiency:
Wah wah wah.
It's always good to have a scapegoat to mask your incompetence, eh? You know, Hitler found the Jews most convenient.
Front-running is but one arrow in the specialist's quiver. Only impacts those active at the moment.
Consider the basic opening GAP. Up or down. Affects but not necessarily impacts ALL involved. With the stroke of "his" proverbial pencil, the specialist can literally add or evaporate millions. Includes cleaning out all stops. Order imbalance? Only in your head. Real imbalances entail halts or delayed opens (and in the case of "bad" news to locate shares to short). More like maneuvers to dispose or acquire inventory WITHIN the entire float.
All three pale to broader, sometimes multi-year campaigns enriching specialists' tax-segregated omnibus accounts. Dwarfs day by day front-running.
I see lots of clowns chest pounding about the present bull leg. Confusing their brains and .....eh...........investment merit with merely being along for the ride.
"Fair and orderly market?" Hollow adage on par with "it's management's function to maximize shareholder value". Maybe you believe in bags of magic beans. Well, just ask for Jack.
This is a predator/prey arena. and the merchandising of paper. Hmmm, perhaps you might give more thought to the mechanics of price movement rather than banging out dimes on impulse.
As for this clown getting 3 x 10 years. So what? Won't put any money in YOUR pocket. Nor will it compensate for continued incomptence. Good traders extract, bad ones whine.