Marvell Gets Options Inquiries

Marvell Technology(MRVL Quote) received inquiries from the Securities and Exchange Commission and a federal grand jury related to its options practices.

The Sunnyvale, Calif., chipmaker is the latest in an lengthening line of companies, most of them tech outfits, to come under federal scrutiny in an investigation of options "backdating." The term refers to the timing of options grants by companies to maximize their value to employees.

To date, dozens of companies have received notices and subpoenas in the probe. Marvell described the SEC inquiry as "informal" in a filing Wednesday. ...