What Is Painting the Tape?

Painting the tape is a form of market manipulation whereby market players attempt to influence the price of a security by buying and selling it among themselves to create the appearance of substantial trading activity.

Two common objectives of painting the tape are to lure unsuspecting investors into a security and to achieve a high closing price for it.

Understanding Painting the Tape

Painting the tape is an illegal activity that is prohibited by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because it creates an artificial price. The term originated in a bygone era when stock prices were largely transmitted on a ticker tape.

Key Takeaways

  • Painting the tape is a type of market manipulation whereby market players attempt to influence the price of a security at the expense of investors.
  • Painting the tape increases volume and attracts investors, who then may push a price higher. The market manipulators will then sell their holdings to investors unaware of the manipulation.
  • It is illegal activity and prohibited by the SEC because it creates an artificial price.


Market manipulators know that high trading volumes in a security often attract the attention of investors. Painting the tape increases volume and attracts investors, who then may push a price higher. The market manipulators who have painted the tape will then sell their holdings—often acquired at much lower prices—to investors unaware of the manipulation. These investors are left "holding the bag" once the manipulation ceases and the price of the stock declines steeply. 

Manipulators may paint the tape near the market's close in an attempt to boost a stock's price substantially at market close. Closing prices are widely reported in the media and are closely watched by investors. Since most securities are valued on the basis of their closing prices, manipulators use this tactic to achieve a higher market value for their holdings.