Definitely hard to call settlements with 2 companies to be a "pump". As for company's seeming indifference to its share price, I am assuming they have a very pleasing idea as to how their own investment in the company will end up. At some pt, they might well increase their insider ownership in the company beyond the already significant amount, so the low prices might actually please them. I do think their pockets, not that of shareholders, is likely their focus.
That said, I am a bit disappointed too in the relentless selling of ARCO or whomever. Most people here (myself included) think the stock should already be double its current price. Yet I don't know if we know who will actually be buying the shares when they are priced at 30 or 40 cents, as there are one or 2 sellers who put lots of risk in what would otherwise in my opinion be a mostly risk-free bet.
