I lifted the following news snippet from the "News" section of Poker
Player Newspaper:
PARTY SETTLEMENT RUMORS LABELED =91PREMATURE=92
Share prices in PartyGaming leveled off after major financial outlets
re****ted talks of a possible settlement by the company with the US
Department of Justice as "premature." Gibraltar-based Party=92s stock,
which is traded on the London exchange, spiked over 10 percent last
week when rumors of the settlement were re****ted by virtually every
major financial outlet. Uncertainty over Party's US future remains a
hindrance to an extended climb for the company's stock, though several
analysts rate the company as a medium-term buy at the moment.
I didn't know that Party was [apparently] negotiating with the United
States government for a return to the U.S. market. I thought Party
(and several of the other sites that withdrew from the American
market) were concentrating their efforts on getting the UIGEA
repealed. I don't think securities market analysts - who are paid to
"know" these things - would be recommending PartyGaming's stock as a
good medium-term buy unless they had some assurance (or inside
knowledge) that Party's return to the American market is imminent, but
what do I know? Whatever the case, the return [of Party] to the
American market ought to be a good thing - especially for online
players.
Does anybody have any "inside skinny" on what is going on here?
Alan C. Lawhon
Huntsville, Alabama
