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In recent years, a confluence of factors created a new reality in the world of equity trading. The emergence of ultra sophisticated electronic trading methods, simultaneously with stock exchanges converting to for-profit and the SEC’s Regulation NMS, have brought on an explosion in trading volume.

Compounded by flawed regulation and lax oversight, this new marketplace is dominated by tech savvy, secretive, predatory and highly profitable trading programs, exploiting traditional investors who are usually oblivious.

High frequency trading systems are proprietary computer programs whose automated algorithmic software initiates trades with the goal of collecting rebates from the exchanges and/or detecting institutional order flow, and then execute buy/sell orders ahead of that flow.

These programs are designed to automatically front run investors. They have an information advantage, and they unnecessarily increase volatility, cause retail and institutional investors to chase artificial prices, make markets less efficient and systematically transfer wealth away from ordinary investors.

They also have a huge market share, and thus often dominate the market and determine its direction. Their hidden cost adversely impacts the financial well-being of all of us.

Some very large and well known Wall Street institutions are involved in this practice. Ever wondered how Goldman Sachs is making so much money so soon after the financial system nearly collapsed? High-frequency trading is one answer: recall that Goldman Sachs recently sued a former employee for allegedly stealing certain trading software Goldman said is responsible for substantial trading profits.

Alan Schram is the Managing Partner of Wellcap Partners, a Los Angeles based investment firm. Email at aschram@wellcappartners.com

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Famed trends researcher Gerald Celente gives his take on what to expect for 2010.

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also check me out on http://www.facebook.com/schiffreport and http://www.twitter.com/schiffreport

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