[Am-info] MSFT Stock behavior

[John J. Urbaniak]

Something very strange happened to Microsoft stock today.

I was watching CNBC about 10 minutes to 4:00.  The announcers were
saying that MSFT was down about $3.50 to $42- something which was a new
52-week low for the stock.

At the same time they were saying that, the ticker showed MSFT down
$3.48 to 42-something, then several trades went by showing the stock
down only 6 cents at 46.00.  There was no gradual uptrend from the lower
value.

At the close, the stock was back to 42-something.  There was no gradual
downtrend, just the lower value.

The announcers remarked about this *strange* behavior.  Maria Bartiromo
and the other two announcers noted the behavior and commented on it.
Stocks just don't act that way.

Question: Was Microsoft trying to manipulate the price of its stock so
it wouldn't show such a big loss at the close?  Did they have a patsy
putting in buy bids at $46.00 right before the close?  If so, this is a
felony.

Time will tell.

At any rate, it didn't work.  MSFT closed at a new 52-week low.  It was
listed as the most active NASDAQ stock and brought down the Dow, the
NASDAQ average and the S&P 500 significantly.

It also made Microsoft employee's stock options even more worthless.

John