Nvidia directors, execs cash in

SHARE PRICE HAS DOUBLED SINCE SUMMER

By Chris O'Brien
Mercury News

It's been an eventful few months for Nvidia, full of good and bad news. Investors have largely ignored the negative news, sending the Santa Clara company's stock soaring.

Since the stock started a comeback in mid-July, six insiders have sold $87.65 million worth of Nvidia shares, including $74 million in December. So far in the current quarter, insider stock sales at Nvidia are running at the highest quarterly level in five years, according to information from Thomson Financial.

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Yahoo COO didn't get `pink slip'

ROSENSWEIG LEFT AFTER HELPING PLAN SHAKE-UP

By Chris O'Brien
Mercury News

Last week's Insiders column noted that Yahoo chief operating officer Daniel Rosensweig ``got the pink slip.'' Not true, according to members of the Yahoo PR team.

A Yahoo spokesperson elaborated on Rosensweig's departure in an e-mail:

``Dan was asked to renew his long-term commitment to Yahoo as one of the leaders of the company,'' the spokesperson wrote. ``After five years, he made a personal decision not to renew a long-term contract, and to leave. He worked closely with the management team over the past few months on the new structure to align Yahoo for future growth.''

In other words, Rosensweig helped chart the recently announced Yahoo management reorganization but declined an offer to stick around. The company spokesperson said Rosensweig's responsibilities would not have been diminished under the new regime.

Still, Rosensweig's decision to leave comes just six months after he negotiated a four-year deal designed to keep him at the company through 2009. By leaving, Rosensweig is walking away from $500,000 in annual salary; a potential annual bonus of up to $1 million; and 2.1 million stock options with a strike price of $31.59 that vest over four years -- but only as long as he works at Yahoo.

After deciding to leave, Rosensweig and Yahoo negotiated a separation agreement. Terms were disclosed in a Dec. 8 filing Yahoo made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission:

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Nice payout for canceled options

MERCURY INTERACTIVE ACQUIRED FOR $4.5 MILLION

By Chris O'Brien
Mercury News

Hewlett-Packard of Palo Alto made a big bet last month when it paid $4.5 billion in cash to acquire Mercury Interactive. The Mountain View software company had become one of many Silicon Valley companies caught up in the stock option backdating scandal.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had begun probing Mercury Interactive in the summer of 2005. And by November 2005, the company's board found several executives had manipulated the grant dates of stock options and forced the resignation of Chief Executive Amnon Landan, Chief Financial Officer Douglas Smith and General Counsel Susan Skaer.

Bad news for them. But thanks to the acquisition, a dozen remaining Mercury insiders had much happier endings.

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Execs cash in as Focus clings to life

COMPANY SUFFERED NEAR-FATAL BLOW FROM MICROSOFT

By Chris O'Brien
Mercury News

Focus Enhancements of Campbell is one of those Silicon Valley companies that flies below the radar for years, alternating between moments of promise and near death experiences. But such cases still provide at least a few insiders the chance to make tidy profits on their company stock.

More here.