In the modern equity market landscape, various participants play crucial roles in the functioning of securities exchanges. Consider the following scenario:
A market has been experiencing increased volatility, and a notable hedge fund manager is deploying a strategy that involves high-frequency trading (HFT) while also engaging in short selling. The hedge fund manager believes that the current prices of certain equity securities are not supported by their underlying fundamentals and aims to capitalize on this discrepancy. In attending a financial industry conference, the manager overhears a conversation about the roles of different market participants and their impact on price discovery.
Which of the following descriptions most accurately characterizes the role of the hedge fund manager in this context?