Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : VVUS: VIVUS INC. (NASDAQ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Andrew H who wrote (3793)	12/17/1997 3:53:00 PM
From: LoLoLoLita	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23519

Andrew, I'm glad that the truth of my posting re Insider Sales has been corroborated. I have no doubt that this was the trigger for yesterday's selloff. I have been so sickened with the recent price slide that I only checked the price a few minutes ago today and was heartened to see it up 2 on good volume, with a strong uptrend all day. As far as your concern about mgmt malfeasance, I do not share in your opinion. In companies such as Vivus, it is common for mgmt to receive the bulk of their compensation in the form of stock options, which they must hold for some time before converting to tradeable shares. Even then, there are usually only four "windows" during the year in which they are free to sell their holdings. I would be much more concerned if all of the insiders sold a much larger total of shares at prices in the 30s than I am concerned about the presently reported Nov sales of well-less-than 100 K shares at prices in the 20s. In the CC (12/11/97), Leland said, in hindsight, that they could have reported the Q4 revenue shortfall only 7-10 days earlier than their press release to that effect was issued. If you believe he was truthful (I DO!), then the insider sales occurred before they were fully aware of their "problem." I haven't yet "plowed through" all of today's postings here but I'm curious to find out who is the Julian Gangold? (VP) who appeared (to me at least, as of second-hand info I got last night), to have sold all of his shares. Now if it turns out that he is no longer with Vivus as a result of hiring Mike Levitt, then his share sales would be of absolutely no concern to me.