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To: Crimson Ghost who wrote (47601)7/8/1999 6:10:00 PM
From: Ken Robbins  Respond to of 95453
 
OSX getting some press on CBS Marketwatch:

cbs.marketwatch.com



To: Crimson Ghost who wrote (47601)7/8/1999 7:19:00 PM
From: Think4Yourself  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 95453
 
George, I'm not sure but I suspect he is aware of that. I looked into it awhile back and seem to recall that the shorting occurred in December at around $13 a share, much closer to the 52 week low than the 52 week high. I suspect D. Floyd Russel is implying that the positions weren't covered at 10, and now are being ridden into a market that is trending up for FGI. I find this very odd as well. Why would anyone want to hold such a large short position when the industry appears to have clearly troughed and is on the rebound, especially with such a clearly well run company? In retrospect, FGI was probably THE worst company in the industry to short then. I have also thoroughly reviewed their annual report, after which I bought more shares.



To: Crimson Ghost who wrote (47601)7/9/1999 10:42:00 AM
From: dfloydr  Respond to of 95453
 
Re FGI shorts: Understood: I meant to imply that they would have been three dollars richer to have been covering when I was buying back down at $10 than they would be by covering at today's prices. Of course if they believe this stock is going to zero, they will get richer yet. I somehow think the odds of their bettering their return by much from this price point are ... shall we say muted ... by the present and prospective price of oil.

As you no doubt know, the short position in this stock is among the largest around for any stock in terms of the percent of the float. I do not know of a way for them to cover their short position without buying stock and just their own buying alone should hurt their own returns unless total disaster strikes FGI and everyone want out.

What I have been wondering is whether this short position is not an offset against some other investment instrument and that perhaps they are setting up some sort of swap. For example:

- if I controlled the company ... and in this case there are some very strong positions held by insiders ... I could have the company issue me the stock I need to cover my short position and deliver that against the short position.

- I remember deals on the Johannesburg stock exchange where investors would diddle with shares that were co-traded there and in London. That way money could be moved in and out of the country by taking offsetting positions in the respective markets in spite of government controls on currency movements.

- Or could their short sales be producing cash that is somehow being used to buy into another company ... perhaps one that is likely to replace FGI in its field? or one that FGI is going to buy (has bought) for stock.

But then WDIK.