Fine by me. I actually don't think it's anybody's business what a private company's positions are. Nothing should be disclosed.
[/QUOTE]Short sellers communicate strategies to each other (Chanos holds a conference with a group of short interest HF in Florida every year). Short sellers will also go activist and attack companies publicly WHEN IT SUITS THEM.[/QUOTE]
Big deal. Longs talk their book on TV all the time and get all activist WHEN IT SUITS THEM. Knowing what somebody's position is at any given time (particularly since the publishing of that position is several weeks after they held it and the fund's position has generally changed a lot by publication) tells you nothing. But if you can see the longs and the shorts, over time someone else can figure out the strategy. It does nothing for market transparency and everything to destroy proprietary trading strategies.
[/QUOTE]Chanos claims that the release of such information will create copy cats and damage a market. I say, if that is the case shut down all public activism. [/QUOTE]
He says that because fewer firms will want to trade. Fewer traders means less liquid markets, more volatility and higher transactions costs. That damages markets. What's your reasoning for shutting down activism?