Is the STOCK MARKET Being Manipulated?

Summary

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Earn Your Leisure Podcast

Episode: Is the STOCK MARKET Being Manipulated?
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings
Date: March 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the hot-button topic: Is the stock market being manipulated? The hosts, joined by a guest market analyst, analyze recent dramatic movements in the stock market, examine evidence of potential manipulation, and discuss how political and institutional actions may be impacting market integrity. The conversation blends deep trading insights with wider financial and political implications, offering practical advice for traders and investors navigating a volatile market.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unprecedented Volatility in Gold and Private Credit Markets

• Gold Bear Market: Gold is down 22% from its all-time high.

  "Gold is officially into the bear market. It's down 22% from its all-time high this month."
  — Market Analyst [02:23]

• Private Credit Concerns: Apollo has capped withdrawals for retail investors; major banks now offer select clients ways to short private credit.

  "Three weeks ago I came on and told you guys that there was a bubble in private credit..."
  — Market Analyst [02:40]

• Implications: Only ultra-wealthy clients can access some of these strategies, reinforcing a "worst kept secret on Wall Street" about froth in private credit.

2. Large, Suspicious Trades in S&P Futures

• A $1.5 billion move on S&P futures, $192 million short, occurred suddenly.
• Experienced traders and even novices have started noticing, indicating unusual activity:

  "In all the time I’ve been trading futures... I’ve never seen such blatant market manipulation."
  — Market Analyst [03:31]

3. Market Manipulation: Coordinated or Political?

• The market appears "rigged to stay up," but current moves are described as unusually blatant:

  "The market is rigged to stay up. But I’ve never seen a cohort or an administration be so blatant with the movement..."
  — Market Analyst [03:45]

• Political motivations, such as keeping oil prices stable around elections, are questioned.

  "Look how they're rigging [the oil market]... so you don’t get shellacked in the midterms." — Market Analyst [04:12]

• The hosts draw parallels: if they advocated certain actions live, it would trigger regulatory attention, yet incumbent institutions act openly.

4. Institutional vs. Administration Strategies

• Institutional moves (large short positions) indicate significant divergence from government messaging:

  "When we talk administration and we talk institutional, it always felt like there was some alignment. This tells me... it’s completely divergent."
  — Market Analyst [05:41-05:53]

• This divide may signal an unstable market future, especially with geopolitical factors influencing both sides.

5. Example of “Quiet Witching” and Reversals

• The recent "quiet witching" Friday followed historic patterns: the market normally ends negative, big institutions short during London session, then U.S. cronies buy in to prop up prices:

  "60 to 80% of the time since 2016... the market normally ends negative because you can’t roll over those contracts..."
  — Market Analyst [05:55]

• The overnight upswings are likened to a star player achieving impossible scores before the game starts—a sign of manufactured moves:

  "80 to 90 points in an S&P future is absolutely amazing. 200 before the mark. It’s the equivalent… Luca had 50 when the game started. This normally doesn’t happen..."
  — Market Analyst [06:24]

6. Insider Knowledge & the Information Advantage

• Notable patterns: huge trades often hit the market minutes before major policy announcements.

  "Every time that he makes an announcement, there’s a huge trade that’s placed a few minutes before — tariffs, war in Iran..."
  — Market Analyst [07:25]

• The conclusion: certain players act on privileged information, the public is left a step behind.

  "Some people have access to information...and they’re making sure financial gains based off of information that the public is not privy to. But what can you do?"
  — Market Analyst [07:55]

7. Advice for Traders & Investors

• Take advantage of volatility while it lasts:

  "For my traders, take advantage of this market while you have it. Because when he’s out of office, to be honest, these kind of swings will not be there."
  — Market Analyst [06:57]

• The market will not always feature such clear "tells," so act thoughtfully — and keep listening to the show for insights.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Open Manipulation:

  "I've never seen such blatant market manipulation. ...We are in an era and the market has always been manipulated. Let's be clear."
  — Market Analyst [03:31-03:38]

• Political Interference Allegation:

  "If we did this… and told everyone to get in, we would have some phone calls to answer the next day."
  — Market Analyst [04:40]

• On Institutional Divergence:

  "When we talk administration and we talk institutional… this tells me…it’s completely divergent." — Market Analyst [05:41-05:53]

• Market Volatility as an Opportunity:

  "You might as well take advantage of it. It’s definitely market manipulation. Allegedly. Allegedly, maybe."
  — Market Analyst [07:13]

• Reality of Information Asymmetry:

  "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out that some people have access to information… and they’re making sure financial gains based off of information that the public is not privy to."
  — Market Analyst [07:41-07:55]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:23] Gold and private credit market updates
• [03:25] Discussion of abnormal S&P futures trades
• [03:31-03:45] Allegations of market manipulation and political interference
• [05:41-05:53] Institutional vs. administration divergence
• [05:55-06:24] Quiet witching effects and engineered reversals
• [06:57] Advice to traders on current market environment
• [07:13-07:55] Insider knowledge and information advantage

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Takeaways

• The market is experiencing historic swings possibly driven by manipulation at the highest levels, with institutions and government insiders making coordinated (or divergent) moves.
• Privileged access to information is being used for profit, leaving regular investors to react rather than anticipate.
• The hosts encourage listeners to remain vigilant, informed, and to take advantage of volatility while it persists — but to do so with caution and clarity.

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Transcript

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[Market Analyst]

The investing fact of the week.

That's a few. So, number one, gold is officially into the bear market. Is down 22% from its all time high this month. I've been talking about the private credit market a lot. So Apollo has capped withdrawals from one of his primary private credit funds to retail investors. And lastly, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan are offering a hedge fund, hedge fund clients, a way to short that 1.8 trillion dollar market. Three weeks ago I came on and told you guys that there was a bubble in private credit. If you wanted the cherry on top to know that it's here, when clients of a certain net worth are able to short it, they only are offering that to select clients with a net worth from 10 to 50 million. There is a reason why Apollo has frozen. This is like the worst kept secret on Wall street right now. But I don't think enough attention is being put on it. And then also this morning There was a 1.5, $1.5 billion move on the S and P future and it was $192 million short.

Oh, you want to go? Are you going there?

Let's go there. Am Eastern Standard Time. Joe Kernan just getting his coffee in between the break. Like, I've, let's be honest. And all the time I've been trading futures at 2015. I've never seen such blatant market manipulation. Like, I have people I was running into today asking me about the futures market who never traded the market before. They're like, isn't that the thing you were talking about? I'm like, we are in an era and the market has always been manipulated. Let's be clear. The mark. I'll always say the market is rigged to stay up. But I've never seen a cohort or an administration be so blatant with the movement and act like everything is absolutely fine. And even in the oil market, look how they're rigging that and saying we're in negotiation to keep it under a certain level so you don't get shellacked in the midterms. We're just in very interesting and trying times. For all my political experts and MAGA experts that have tuned into Market Mondays, keep up alive. But you have to call a state of state. This is blatant. If we did this, if we went on Investor and did Invest Fest live on a Monday and told everyone to get in, we would have some phone calls to answer the next day.

I got to give you credit. I'm gonna give you credit here, my brother, because you sharp. I'll just go. Let me just tell you, you sharp. When I'm doing the research and I'm thinking Like, oh, I'm thinking, I saw that. I don't know if anybody else saw that. But what you're saying is, is I'm like, that's spot on. There was a billion dollar trade. Right. Somebody was shorting the market, which tells me that institutions are not really. They can't figure out the signal of this volatility. Right. They were going into Monday anticipating that the market was going to be negative because of this 48 hour deadline and the fact that they're pricing in that this war is going to last a lot longer than they thought it would. The initial thing was, hey, this might take four to six weeks, but we have now hit week four. They're saying that based on everything that they've seen, we're going to now short. So imagine when 707 comes and now here we are up 1300

and there's a divide.

So when we talk administration and we talk instit institutional, it always felt like there was some alignment. This tells me that there's.

It's completely divergent.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And another tip on quiet. We just had quiet witching on Friday. 60 to 80% of the time since 2016. On a Friday of quiet witching, the market normally ends negative because you can't roll over those contracts, contrary to popular belief. So there was a huge short started from the London session going into Friday. The market ended up down and then they, like you said, they acted as if it was going to be all of a fallout. And then they had allegedly their cronies ride the market up to prop it back up to prevent the onslaught and on and the selling in the market as a result. Like, I've never seen these kind of moves. Like once again, 80 to 90 points in an S and P future is absolutely amazing. 200 before the mark. It's the equivalent. Like If Luca had 50 when the game started. This normally doesn't happen like it normally takes. It would be the equivalent of him saying the war is over or we have a plan to get the GDP back to 100% opposed to 123. That will cause that kind of move. Not just him tweeting normally so. But for my traders, take advantage of this market while you have it. Because when he's out of office, to be honest, these kind of swings will not be there.

Well, I think, because I, I definitely want to. Yeah. Not talking too long, but yeah, I think that that's definitely important for people to really pay attention and we're not gonna have this level of volatility forever. So. You might as well take advantage of it. It's definitely market manipulation. Allegedly. Allegedly, maybe. But you know, every time that he makes, every time that he makes an announcement, there's a huge trade that's placed a few minutes before. It happened with the tariffs, it happened with the war in Iran, like announcing that we were going to go in. And it happened. It's happened a variety of different times. So it doesn't take a genius. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out that some people have access to information, Bitcoin as well, and they're making sure financial gains based off of information that the public is not privy to. But what can you do?

You can take advantage of it and listen to the show.

Participate.

You could participate for sure.

[Narrator of Secret World of Roald Dahl]

You know, Roald Dahl, he thought of Willy Wonka in the bfg, but did you know he was a spy? In the new podcast, the Secret World of Roald Dahl, I'll tell you that story and much, much more. What you probably won't believe it either

[Podcast Host]

was this before he wrote his stories. It must have been.

[Amy Robach]

Okay, I don't think that's true.

[Narrator of Secret World of Roald Dahl]

I'm telling you, the guy was a spy. Listen to the Secret World of Roald Dahl on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hey there folks. Amy Robach and T.J. holmes here and

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we know there is a lot of news coming at you these days. From the war with Iran to the ongoing Epstein fallout, government shutdowns, high profile trials, and what the hell is that Blake Lively thing about?

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Anyway, we are on it every day, all day.

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Follow us, Amy and TJ for news updates throughout the day.

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[Daniel Alarcon]

I'm Daniel Alarcon and this is. My friend is much more famous than I am.

[John Green]

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co host of the podcast the Away End with my old friend Daniel.

[Daniel Alarcon]

On our podcast the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together we'll find out why of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

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Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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