It called on short-sellers to release their reports while the market was closed so that companies had time to prepare a response, fact-check their reports with target companies and âavoid overly emotive, intemperate or imprecise languageâ. Companies that were targeted by short-reports should go into a trading halt and ârespond comprehensivelyâ, Asic said. Tim Murray, the managing partner of short-seller J Capital Research, said Asic was privileging good news about companies over bad. âWhat Asic is saying is corporates can put out press releases and sell-side analysis-positive reports during trading hours but negative reports only outside trading hours,â he said.