Trading in MSO shares halted

[rodbarnett]

Shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. were halted by the New York Stock Exchange on Friday shortly before the guilty verdict in her stock fraud trial was announced.

Shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia rose $2.24, or 16 percent, to $16.27 before the hold was imposed at 3:02 p.m. The stock had a major run-up prior to the verdict as investors bet on whether she would be acquitted. Shares began rising at 2 p.m., when reports of a possible verdict were first aired on television.

The identities of those brokers who participated in the run-up are not publicly available.

Stewart, a former stockbroker who turned a penchant for home decor into a multimedia empire, was charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements.

http://www.newsday.com/business/nyc-omni0306,0,2020125,print.story?coll=ny-homepage-big-pix

[NYC]

1. I heard trading reopened already,

and the stock has dropped about $2. Heard it reopened around 3:30 p.m. WINS 1010 AM Radio

[Newsjock]

2. Trading resumed

11.00, down 3.03, but changing rapidly.

[MaineDem]

3. Down to $10 something... (nt)

[NYC]

4. Stock market closed. MSO shares at $10.88, down $3.15