Following last night's revelation that FX trading [6]is the latest addition to the "rigged" column, here is a summary of the known market manipulation scandals (because it can be problematic keeping track of all by now):
- Libor - interest rates (link [7])
- ISDAfix - swaps (link [8])
- Platts - oil prices (link [9])
- WM/Reuters - FX (link [6])
- High-Frequency Trading - equities (link [10])
We also know that the Fed and world central banks are engaged in a full blown (and unprecedented) Treasury curve modeling exercise courtesy of both ZIRP (short-end) and QE (long-end), and that courtesy of some $12 trillion in extra liquidity in the past 5 years, stocks are at an artificial "weath effect" sugar high.
We can therefore deduce that, following the process of elimination, gold and silver are the only markets that are unmanipulated and where transparent price discovery is allowed to take place without intervention from key players.
Sarcasm off.