Tuesday, February 12, 2013

What do Apple investors want?

The issue of the moment is Apple’s giant and ever-growing cash pile, now over $130 billion and counting. Hedge fund investor David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital wants Apple AAPL +0.04%   to issue a special class of preferred shares, and he is suing to block a proposal by the company to seek shareholder approval before issuing any new class of stock.
Cook also countered Einhorn’s accusation that Apple has a “Depression-era mentality” and rattled off all the things Apple has done to return shareholder value. Read what Cook says about the Einhorn “sideshow,” Apple’s margins and products.
There was even chatter that Apple might hike its dividend. Immediately after the meeting, Piper Jaffray analysts told clients they expected Apple to slightly increase its dividend, after hearing Cook’s comments. Read about Wall Street’s prognosis for Apple’s dividend hike.
This wasn’t Cook’s first time at the Goldman Sachs conference. This year, however, his appearance came after the company’s shares have tumbled from a high of $700 last year, as worries about whether its hyper-growth era is over persist, and as competitors get closer to its heels, and in some cases, like Samsung, are surpassing Apple in the smartphone market.
For one thing, investors might be comparing Cook, who is much more engaged with the investment community, to co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs. Jobs was known for not talking much to Wall Street — he only spoke on company earnings conference calls a handful of times.
So why when Cook talks about possibly returning more cash to shareholders and giving them a say in whether or not Apple issues a new class of stock, do its shares fall?
Perhaps, in the most cynical view, they feel that Cook is trying too hard to win their approval at a moment when its valuation has plummeted and no one knows what will be its next big thing. Maybe shareholders would be happier with a CEO who just isn’t that into them. 

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News Source: www.marketwatch.com

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