• There are poor performing stocks, and then there’s the New York Times. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier today that a Morgan Stanley fund management arm dumped its 7.2% stake in the company, citing people familiar with the matter, helping to push shares to a 52-week low in an ugly year for the stock, at a time when media valuations are sliding and help from leveraged investors appears to be dwindling. Standard & Poor’s, in a report today, said liquidity problems could hurt a number of issuers in the media sector (they did not name New York Times, however), and overall sentiment in the sector continues to lag — Gannett’s net was down 11% on slowing ad sales. Shares of NYT have dropped 22% on the year.