Painting the tape is executing a series of transactions to create the appearance of activity or a particular price trend on the public trade record, in order to draw others in.
manipulation techniques · updated 2026-09-08
Where does painting the tape come up?
This term is used in the following manipulation techniques, each explained in full on
its own page.
Painting the tape— Painting the tape is executing a series of transactions to create a misleading appearance of activity or of a price trend on the public trade record, in order to draw other participants in.
See also
Wash trade— A wash trade is a transaction in which the same beneficial owner is on both sides, so no ownership changes hands and no market ris…
Marking the close— Marking the close is trading in the final minutes of a session specifically to influence the closing price, which is the price tha…