Corner A Market

Corner A Market

1. To own a significant enough amount of a stock to be able to manipulate its price. More specifically, an investor corners a market when he/she owns so many shares in a company that he/she can trigger a sell off if he/she dumps the stock. For this reason, persons and institutions owning or buying more than a certain percentage of shares in a company must register with the SEC and are subject to certain restrictions.

2. To have the greatest market share in a particular industry without having a monopoly. Companies that have cornered their markets usually have greater leeway in their decisions; for example, they may charge higher prices for their products without fear of losing too much business. Large companies, such as Wal-Mart or Microsoft, are considered to have cornered their markets. See also: Gorilla.