To corner a market means to acquire enough shares of a particular security type, such as those of a firm in a niche industry, or to hold a significant commodity position to be able to manipulate its price. ... A phone company that dominates 90% of the wireless market could be said to have cornered the market.

Is it legal to corner a market?

Cornering the market is highly illegal. It provides a decidedly unfair advantage to the cornerer, allowing them to manipulate prices in order to make a profit. In most cases, attempts at cornering are unsuccessful because oppositional forces rise up against the cornerer, weakening its position.

Why is it illegal to corner the market?

Cornering the market is illegal because it creates an unfair advantage. ... In some markets, investors don't need to control the majority or even a third of a particular investment to be perceived as trying to corner the market.