Hedge Funds and mutual funds have very large positions....and have huge impacts on stock prices when they decide to move positions. The day trader/stock trader has small positions....and has a much smaller impact on stock prices. When there are tough economic events, and the hedge/mutual funds want out....this puts severe downward pressure on prices. ........................................................ The inevitable correction of over-leveraging by the largest institutions also has a huge impact versus prices because they are so large relative to the markets.... .................................................... .................................................... With direct access being relatively new....and markets becoming mostly electronic.....the stage is set for broader participation in smaller increments which will make for a more healthy and robust world wide stock market..... ................................................... What needs to happen is to provide broad based unbiased "Wiki-type" information in all languages....and a world wide direct access highway with true universal accounts....whereby the commissions are basically nonexistant..... Also listing requirements would be boiler plate with low cost legal tabs.... ......................................................... With unbiased standardized information in all languages, and an equal access direct access universal account highway.....there will be literally billions of individual accounts which will find it commonplace to participate in any market of anykind in the world. .................................................... The US/World markets are being affected negatively because of a lack of transparency about derivative markets....along with tainted and non standard information ......such as instruments being labeled AAA that were actually CCC....and so on.... .................................................... Everyone agrees that 0 interest non-obligatory debt is the most efficient capital on earth....and the markets for it must be made appropriate.....