The "pump and dump" days are gone

Our previous CEO was responsible for this. He also put an end to profit-sharing, replacing it with stock options that will never be redeemed, based as they are on artificially high stock valuations.

Brand X barely survived this chicanery, and only exists as an independent company now because it was so encumbered with debt that no one was willing to merge/acquire it.

I'll have a pint of bitters to wash down my bitter bitterness.