A dark pool is a private financial forum where investors can buy and sell securities away from public view. Trades in dark pools are not publicly visible until after they are completed. They typically allow large trades without moving public prices as much as normal exchanges would.
A large pension fund wants to sell 5 million shares of a company without the public knowing, which might push the price down. Instead of selling on the public exchange, they use a dark pool to find a buyer privately. The trade happens without affecting the publicly visible stock price.
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