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As if on cue, Facebook stock tumbles -- again

Well, this was predictable.

For weeks now, pundits, stock analysts and the media have been warning that Facebook shares -- already under pressure for a variety of reasons -- would face a fresh challenge when so-called "lockups" expire, allowinginsiders holding pre-IPO shares to start selling them.

And that's exactly what happened today, doubtless bringing joy to the many short sellers who bet on the stock to fall.

Today's "lockup" expiration was relatively small, with insiders now free to sell 271 million shares, adding to the 421 million already in circulation. Yet it was enough … Read more

Facebook stock: Let the insider selling begin

Of all the challenges to Facebook's oh-so-challenged stock -- such as the company's struggle with the giant shift to mobile, and its slowdown of user growth in the U.S. -- one thing Wall Street watchers have been talking a lot about is the upcoming expiration of "lockups" in which insiders can start selling their stock.

And it begins tomorrow. Over the course of the next year, pre-IPO holders of Facebook stock will be able to start dumping their shares, with the potential of adding more than 2 billion shares to the market. In a game … Read more

Groupon shares down 22 percent, despite increased sales, profit

After examining Groupon's second-quarter financial report yesterday, showing increased revenue and a profit, some might think that the company is on the right track. Judging by investor reaction, however, that doesn't appear to be the case.

In early morning trading, Groupon shares are down a whopping 22.4 percent to $5.86. At its worst point so far this morning, Groupon's stock hit an all-time low of $5.80. At its current level, Groupon shares are down 71 percent since the beginning of the year.

Groupon yesterday announced that sales in the second quarter were up 45 percent year-over-year to land at $568.3 million. … Read more

Zynga uses stock options to keep employees put, report says

Zynga is using stock options -- a retention tactic commonly used in startups before they go public -- to keep employees at the company, according to a new report.

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus has decided to issue stock options to all of the company's employees, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing sources. The move is a not-so-subtle attempt on Pincus' part to boost morale and keep employees, many of whom already hold stock in the game maker, from leaving and selling off their shares when able.

Since Zynga went public at $10 per share, the company's shares … Read more

Waiting for Facebook to hit IPO price again? Keep waiting

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Marty Wolf's bio below.

Social-media enthusiasts with eyes on the stock market bought into Facebook's initial public offering May 18. Now those who clung to the stock are wondering: When will shares of Facebook climb back to their IPO price of $38 a share?

My answer: About 32 quarters -- or eight years.

Here's why:

I did an analysis August 1, when Facebook closed at $20.88 a share. That's right about where the stock is currently trading. This puts Facebook's price-to-earnings ratio based on the last … Read more

As Facebook shares sag, LinkedIn stock soars

Professional network LinkedIn is making some investors on Wall Street awfully happy.

In premarket trading this morning, LinkedIn shares were up over 10 percent to $102.90. In early morning trading, the company's stock has risen to $106.83, helping it to boost its market capitalization to over $11 billion. Since the beginning of the year, LinkedIn's shares are up 70 percent.

LinkedIn's strong showing today has resulted from its impressive performance during the second quarter. The professioinal network yesterday reported that it earned a $2.8 million profit during the second quarter on $228.2 million … Read more

Facebook stock hits all-time low, drops below $20

Facebook's stock is dropping again, this time hitting an all-time low of $19.91 today.

The social-network company's stock price has been hovering around $20 a share, occasionally dipping under.

How bad is that? Well, $19 a share puts Facebook at half the value of its offering price of $38.

Facebook closed at $20.88 yesterday, but its lowest closing price to date is $20.84.

The stock has been on a continuous decline since Facebook reported second-quarter earnings last week.

Three Facebook execs bow out of the social network

It was a three-in-one blow today for Facebook execs announcing their departure from the company.

All Things Digital reports that Director of Platform Partnerships Ethan Beard first said he was planning to leave the company; then, Platform Marketing Director Katie Mitic said she had plans to leave too. And finally, Facebook's Mobile Platform Marketing Manager Jonathan Matus also announced his departure.

All three employees made the announcements on their Facebook timelines and said that they've had good experiences working at the social network. Beard wrote, "I've had the pleasure of helping build an ecosystem of incredible … Read more

Zynga slapped with dueling shareholder lawsuits

It's been a dismal week for Zynga. First news of bleak revenue growth in the second quarter followed by plunging stock prices, then accusations of insider trading... and now the gaming company is being slapped with two shareholder lawsuits.

The almost identical lawsuits are being filed by two California law firms seeking class-action status on behalf of stockholders who are accusing Zynga of not warning them about slumping revenue growth before the company's shares plummeted 42 percent last week, according to Reuters.

"Zynga misrepresented or failed to disclose material adverse facts about its business, operations, and growth … Read more

Twitter introduces ticker symbol 'cashtags' for finance searches

Twitter started prioritizing money talk on its site today with the announcement of "cashtags." These are clickable ticker symbols, like $AAPL, $GOOG, and $FB, which take users to search results about the company's finances and stocks.

Twitter made the announcement via a tweet in which it wrote: "Now you can click on ticker symbols like $GE on http://twitter.com to see search results about stocks and companies."

According to The Verge, the cashtags come on the heels of other user-created Twitter innovations, such as the @reply and the #hashtag. (The hashtag, for instance, evolved … Read more