> But shares (as in, you know, MSFT) don't work like what you describe, > Darren. There's no "certain number" of shares that "is" MSFT, and if > there is (say) 5 billion out there currently, that means that that 5 > billion is X percent of the "total"....shares simply dont work like > that. Companies issue shares when they feel like it and (perhaps) > pay dividends when they feel like it. There's no sort of "total" you > know?
That is dead wrong. Sorry. Every public company has to publish the number of outstanding shares on their books as a liability. MSFT has 10.7 billion shares outstanding (the insiders own 17% of the shares, the rest has been sold to the public) If you manage to buy 5.35 billion shares +1 , you can simply vote yourself to chairman and oust Bill Gates and all the others you hate there.. This kind of information is readily available and has to be published by any company going public with its shares. Just try http://biz.yahoo.com/p/m/msft.html where you will also learn that a share of MSFT has a book value of $5, so it is your business if you want to pay $26 for a share. And companies cannot issue shares just like that. It has be approved by the board of directors which is usually elected by all the shareholders. Also granting of stock options to the management may need approval by vote of all the shareholders. > The fact that it is a REAL ipo with no underwriter (ie > someone who buys all the shares to sell at a quick profit, and churn > them to mates) is totally novel, for instance. Disintermediation. To be a REAL ipo it have to be REAL shares , and that seems to be questionable to me. So far I see at the most shares with no size and with no rights, only a promise that dividends will be paid in the future. That's certainly not what one would call a 'blue chip'. Danny --- You are currently subscribed to e-gold-list as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Use e-gold's Secure Randomized Keyboard (SRK) when accessing your e-gold account(s) via the web and shopping cart interfaces to help thwart keystroke loggers and common viruses.
