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Apple CEO Steve Jobs maintained that he was unaware of the accounting implications of stock-option backdating during his deposition last year with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a transcript of the interview.

Forbes managed to obtain the document after a Freedom of Information Act ruling in its favor, and has published a story examining the transcript. Apple and Jobs were the subject of an investigation after the company determined that two stock-option awards given to Jobs and other Apple executives were improperly backdated, and that minutes of a meeting were falsified by Nancy Heinen, Apple's general counsel … Read more

Pikker is a program designed to help users navigate the stock market by simulating stock trades. This isn't a program for those new to trading, though, as it requires just as much knowledge as the real thing.

This program is as complex as reading a stock ticker. There are a world of terms, abbreviations, and fields that need to be meticulously entered to get a strong picture of your proposed trade. By entering trade allocation info, price, commissions, long rules, short rules, and more, a user can replicate an actual trade. This flexibility and freedom will appeal to those … Read more

StockMonkey provides an easy way for users to quickly analyze their investments. Its simple calculator approach makes it suitable for nearly any type of investor who wants help knowing when to buy and sell.

This free program is not much to look at, with a very basic, no-frills interface. But by sacrificing a sleek look, it digs deep into the details and provides users with a clearer picture of their stocks. Compared with other free stock calculators, this one has a much larger number of variables, which means your projection should be more accurate. Users can simply input their purchase … Read more

Shares of Sun Microsystems suffered a staggering jolt Monday, following reports that the hardware maker rejected IBM's formal bid over the weekend and Big Blue has withdrawn its offer.

Sun's stock plummeted nearly 23 percent to $6.68 a share in premarket trading, following reports in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that the company rejected a formal buyout bid of $9.40 a share or less, and terminated an exclusive negotiating agreement, prompting IBM to withdraw its offer.

Sun's shares closed at $8.49 a share during the regular trading session on Friday. … Read more

Updated at 7:13 p.m. PDT, with comment from Sun Microsystems and market share information for both companies.

Sun Microsystems rejected IBM's formal buyout offer on Saturday, calling the bid insufficient and putting future deal talks at risk, according to a report Sunday in The Wall Street Journal.

IBM reportedly made a formal bid of $9.40 a share, or less, for Sun, which in turn rejected the offer and terminated Big Blue's right to exclusive merger talks, the Journal reported. IBM, in turn, withdrew its buyout offer.

In addition to holding a belief that the bid … Read more

After weeks of negotiations, IBM reportedly is eyeing a $9.55-per-share buyout for Sun Microsystems, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Such a price would value the deal at roughly $7 billion and offer Sun investors nearly double the price of the stock before reports surfaced earlier this month that the parties are in buyout talks.

A report in The New York Times, meanwhile, notes the parties are discussing a purchase price of $9.50 a share.

In either case, Sun's investors haven't seen the hardware maker's stock trade at those levels since August. … Read more

IBM has reportedly cut its purchase price for Sun Microsystems to a range of $9 to $10 a share. And Sun is apparently willing to accept the lower range providing IBM agrees to pursue the deal, even in the face of antitrust scrutiny, according to a report Thursday in The Wall Street Journal.

Previously, IBM was contemplating a buyout price of $10 to $11 a share, according to the Journal. Big Blue had recently been delving into Sun Microsystems' contracts for any possible conflicts, as part of its due diligence on the company.

Sun Microsystems stock spiked 6.25 percent … Read more

Take-Two Interactive Software reached a $3 million settlement agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, relating to charges that the game publisher engaged in falsifying financial records as part of a stock option-backdating scheme, the SEC announced Wednesday.

A settlement agreement had largely been expected, after Take-Two announced two years ago that it had received a notice from the SEC's staff that it would recommend that charges be filed against the company. Take-Two, at the time, said the company expected to pursue a settlement agreement, rather than fight regulators in court.

Take-Two agreed to the settlement without … Read more

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

Wall Street analysts, still upbeat about the Pre's prospects, are beginning to fall in love with Palm.

These folks are betting that demand for the Pre--and the WebOS that rides shotgun--will be strong enough to make Palm a strong market player again. However, if you follow the money, it's clear that Palm doubters abound.

Simply put, Palm garners Wall Street kudos even as much stronger companies, such as Research In Motion, fall out of favor. According to Thomson Reuters data, there are eight analysts rating Palm shares … Read more