Short Seller Andrew Left to Face Jury Over Alleged Manipulation

The short selling industry will be in the spotlight this week when one of its most prominent players goes on trial, accused of using explosive social-media posts about dozens of companies to illegally move their stock and make a quick profit.

The US Justice Department’s case against Citron Research founder Andrew Left will zero in on the activities of activist short sellers, who highlight companies they think are overvalued and can profit if the stock goes down. The trial, which begins Monday in Los Angeles, will examine when statements of opinion about a company cross into market manipulation — a thorny topic with potential implications for Wall Street.