I think it's MMs settling 'odd amounts' of, oh, let's say daily interest charges incurred in shorting other stocks or lending hypotecated stocks for margin.

They use these small amounts to settle their books inter-MM and as a way to keep the price down with upcoming companies (and those with huge potential) while their 'friends' are issued quiet recommendations on these stocks.

Keep the price down = more shares to be issued by the companies to fund initial expenses (or legal issues, as we have seen).

If one MM owes another $16.10 in short-term interest, why not 'sell' 100 shares to 'pay' that $16.10, create a continuous market (volume), keep the price from going up, and allow mms and others to acquire more shares at a real low price (especially when the company has to issue shares to fund daily operations)?

Once the company no longer has to do that (in other words $ETTLEMENT$ fund operations) The MMs had better cover.. and quickly.

They are presently trying to release the steam on this pressure cooker without it blowing the kitchen roof off.