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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Harvey Allen who wrote (43432)	4/25/2000 4:10:00 PM
From: Charles Tutt	Respond to of 74651

I think you have a point there. More supply, same demand, IMHO.

To: Harvey Allen who wrote (43432)	4/25/2000 4:15:00 PM
From: Harvey Allen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Microsoft Doubles Employee Stock Option Grant Awards (Update1) By David Ward Redmond, Washington, April 25 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, said it doubled annual stock option grants to all its 34,000 full-time employees following a 41 percent decline in the share price this year. Microsoft President Steven Ballmer told employees in an e- mail that they would immediately receive stock options equal in number to their most recent grants, effectively doubling their annual option package, spokesman Dan Leach said. The options allow employees to buy shares at 66 5/8, the closing price yesterday. The bonus comes as the software maker moves to stem the defection of key developers and managers. In recent months, Microsoft has lost several executives, including Chief Financial Officer Greg Maffei, Brad Silverberg, who led the development of Windows 95 and the Internet Explorer browser, and Dan Rosen, its general manager of new technology, who announced his departure yesterday. ``It's a volatile time in the industry and the market and Ballmer wanted to underscore his optimism about the future, and he also wanted to underscore that employees are the No. 1 asset at Microsoft,'' Leach said. Microsoft shares rose 2 3/8 to 69 in midafternoon trading of more than 65.3 million shares, making it the most active U.S. stock. First Time It is the first time Microsoft has granted all of its full- time employees an additional options grant, Leach said. Microsoft awards employees stock options each July as part of their annual performance reviews. Under Microsoft's option awards plan, one-eighth of the options can be exercised after one year, and then one-eighth of the grant can be exercised every subsequent six months. Microsoft earlier this month granted additional options to recognize ``selectively recognize strong achievers'' Leach said. Some employees were awarded up to 200,000 options, Microsoft said earlier this month. The new options for all employees were awarded one day after Microsoft stock dropped almost 16 percent. Microsoft shares are down 41 percent this year, wiping $250 billion off of the company's market capitalization in 2000. quote.bloomberg.com