In
finance, to
corner the market is to get sufficient control of a particular
stock,
commodity, or other
asset to allow the price to be
manipulated. Another definition: "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." In either case, the cornerer hopes to gain control of enough of the
supply of the commodity to be able to set the price for it.