[News] Pfizer says early data signals COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Moderna was waiting to have enough infections in the placebo group, as is Pfizer had done. They could have released incomplete data, I guess, but then everyone would question their motives. I don't think there is smoke in any of this let alone fire.

Pretty much exactly what I'm saying too. Its a standard, set vesting of compensatory stock options.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well. Okay. But in this instance these options vested and were disbursed on set dates. They're a Long-Term Incentive Plan.

Its actually really standard.

If anyone genuinely has some issues maybe ask why Moderna didnt get their announcement out about a supposedly superior vaccine first? They dont have a vested interest in the Pfizer stock.

I think we might be crossing paths here. You are talking about options and their vesting etc. I'm not talking about how the CEO came into possession of these shares, whether it be through stock options, stock grants or regular trading. Doesn't really matter to me.

The issue is the filing of a plan on August 19 to dispose of said shares, a majority amount of his stock ownership, the day before they announced the early results of their trial with a disposal date expected to be around when the near final results of the trial would be announced.

IMO the fact that anyone believes the existence of this stock sale plan eliminates the possibility of manipulation shows just how ineffective they are and why they continue to come under scrutiny.

That's not the same as believing there is some fraud here.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

IMO the fact that anyone believes the existence of this stock sale plan eliminates the possibility of manipulation shows just how ineffective they are and why they continue to come under scrutiny.

That's not the same as believing there is some fraud here.

I agree. There are two variables here, the date of the sale and the date of the announcement.

Usual insider trading is that someone has knowledge and this triggers them to buy or sell so they profit. In this case, the date of the sale was planned/announced ahead of time (whichever it was), which rules out this as a potential variable.

Still, there is the timing of the announcement that the CEO could have played with. Bosses never come at their employees with unexplained, unreasonable, and unmovable dates to hit (sarcasm). If this was bad news, would have the announcement been on the same day or a few days later? We’ll never know.

Still, the timing still validly raises eyebrows, even if it turns out to be completely coincidental. Any investigation should come to the truth. All I’m saying is that the pre-scheduled date doesn’t completely absolve anyone from wrongdoing.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by calculoso

I agree. There are two variables here, the date of the sale and the date of the announcement.

Usual insider trading is that someone has knowledge and this triggers them to buy or sell so they profit. In this case, the date of the sale was planned/announced ahead of time (whichever it was), which rules out this as a potential variable.

Still, there is the timing of the announcement that the CEO could have played with. Bosses never come at their employees with unexplained, unreasonable, and unmovable dates to hit (sarcasm). If this was bad news, would have the announcement been on the same day or a few days later? We’ll never know.

Still, the timing still validly raises eyebrows, even if it turns out to be completely coincidental. Any investigation should come to the truth. All I’m saying is that the pre-scheduled date doesn’t completely absolve anyone from wrongdoing.

Yep. This image of the CEO reviewing this press release on Sunday night, hours before he knows he will be short the company's stock to the tune of $5.6 million is pretty crazy.