This february there was strange trading behavior by a company called CORMARK securitites. They are a company that evolved out of Sprott, see my 24 Feb comments on DW's reply to concners about Cormark's trading behavior during the last private placement (closing 25 Feb) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/news-sources/?date=20100225&archive=cnw&slug=C4675

The private placement closed the day after their trading activity spiked, with them selling Tyhee in small lots of 500, pinning the price down. They ahve also been buyers of Tyhee at up to 28cents. My own view is that they are one of the players who manipulate the price of Tyhee shares, but I have no proof. Just look at today's trading activity, and review my posts from February. Here's the one that summarizes DW's comments.

Is CORMARK selling in order to participate, or are they actively trying to keep Tyhee down?

SKELEG

24 Feb 2010:

I raised my concern about CORMARK's activities to DW.

He replied that Tyhee is aware of this activity and has contacted Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada IIROC. This kind of trading activity, repeatedly offering blocks of 500 shares for sale, effectively takes out anyone who has an "all or nothing bid". By removing any compenent of the buying, they are guaranteeign that on balance the shares will trade lower than market pressures would normally dictate. This also works to the upside.

I saw CORMARK's buying having this upside effect a little while ago, and commented on this forum. But this time, on the downside, it's much more extensive.

My own look at Toronto based Cormark:

Cormark Securities Inc. is an institutional brokerage firm that focuses on the small-to-medium capitalization companies in the Canadian investment industry. The firm provides investment-banking services including initial public offerings, secondary offerings, private placements, fairness opinions, joint ventures, solicitations, valuations, and merger and acquisition advisory. In addition, it offers research, institutional sales, and trading services. The firm’s market focus includes alternative energy, consumer products, energy services, health sciences, industrial products, mining, oil and gas, and technology. Cormark Securities, formerly known as Sprott Securities Inc., was founded in 1981 and is based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices in Montreal and Calgary, Canada.

My own opinion is that they are selling or shorting Tyhee with a view to trying to acquire a meaninful amount at a discount. This would be very risky, if they are short the marktet to push it down before buying it up, as news or drill resuilts could come out and SMACK them. Also, if one of three of my own personal windfalls comes in any time soon, I'll smack them myself and buy up all those litte 500 share packets. It may be smart for any of us investors with offers in to buy tyhee shares to not click "all or none", as such would make what it appears Cormark is doing to be less effective.

What I don't udnerstand is the current relationship between CORMARK (Formerly Sprott Securities) and Sprott Asset management, which holds more than 22 million (July 2009)Tyhee shares.

Sprott Asset Management LP (SAM) is the successor to Sprott Asset Management Inc. which was founded in 2000, after the permanent separation from Sprott Securities.

Sprott Securities Inc. was sold to its employees in 2002, leaving Eric Sprott and the directors and officers of SAM with no remaining interest in the firm.

So I think that the SPROTT that owns a lot of TYhee has nothign to do with CORMARK Securities at all, and that there is nothing untoward being done by the SPORTT ASSET MANAGMENT that owns a big part of Tyhee.

When asked about Sprott, DW also stated that in the past, if Sprott adjusted any of their ownership of Tyhee, you would not know about it until it was done.

My conclusion:

Whatever is going in with CORMARK is not about SPROTT, and while it's not helpful to the share price, it does not represent any problems with the value in Tyhee. In fact, it looks like a play to position CORMARK to end up ownding more of tyhee. So I personally will buy up anythign they sell, with any windfall that comes my way! SMACK-em!

SKELEG