Conference nyoss1::market_investing

    
    There was a rumor mentioned in yesterday's Boston Globe about Motorola
    being the possible suitor, and Apple's stock was up about $4 or so in
    heavy trading. They speculated that Motorola, buying Apple, would be able
    to ensure the continued demand for PowerPC.
    
    Again, it was the rumor of the day on Wall Street. As always, they also
    mentioned AT&T as another possible candidate to buy Apple!
    
    /P.B. Bhat

    I saw the news story appear in VOGON News - Please go into VTX and
    extract the story.
    
    Ken

    What I heard yesterday on Marketplace is that IBM and Apple plan to
    forge closer ties in the development of the next generation of personal
    computer. It was mentioned that IBM may buy a 20% stake in Apple as
    well. Apple was up again yesterday as a result. The commentator
    referred to it as "Forrest Gump's favorite stock". :-)
    			Jim

    
    Also, it appears IBM will benefit from this agreement (ie More exposure
    of os/2... The stock of IBM has *unbelievably* been rising, its up
    to 73 /share today.  I think Apple's stock has risen too much lately
    for it to be a buy now (ie The rumor is built in already in the current
    stock price).  I think if the agreement fails, apple's stock will fall
    too.  But a positive yesterday about APPLE was that its earnings was
    going to be above analyst expectations.
    
    

    newspaper report says that Apple set up separation agreements with its
    top execs. in case they were dismissed in a takeover, etc.  Apple says
    that no takeover is imminent.
    
    Mark

    Apple was hit hard last few days because of problems meeting delivery,
    and the San Jose Mercury News tried to link Apple's woes with the first
    loss of the Harlem Globetrotters in 13 years (?) or so.  A stretch?
    Perhaps, but the hometown paper was especially harsh, showing a color
    photo of the team with their Apple laptops with a caption pointing out
    they lost two days later.
    
    Ouch!  And I thought the Boston Globe was tough.
    
    Anyway, Apple is down to 36 11/16 from a 52 week high of 50 (low of 32
    1/2)  Trading at about 9 times earnings.
    
    Some say it is "do or die" time for Apple.  I think they might be ripe
    for a take-over.  Any thoughts now?  What about a buy at 36?

    Apple is down to 36.3125 as of 11:47 this morning. I'm real close to
    jumping in and picking up so shares at < 36.15. I think it will be do
    or die time for apple between now and xmas and if they bomb look for
    them to be gobbled by motorola or Ibm. 
    
    	Time will tell..

.7>  Apple is down to 36.3125 as of 11:47 this morning. I'm real close to
.7>  jumping in and picking up so shares at < 36.15. I think it will be do
    
    It's at 34 7/8 right now. You'll get a much better price on AAPL, and
    most other stocks, in another 5 weeks. Do yourself a favor and wait.
    
      John (a.k.a. "Criswell")

    Thanks for the info John..
    
    	Why do you say wait another 5 weeks?? Whats coming down the road
    that you see??

    	re .10
    
    	October is coming!

    Not all Octobers are bad, of course. Just those that follow good summers.
    
    I don't have the numbers handy, and probably would violate copyright
    restrictions if I quoted, but basically when there's a good market
    run-up in the early part of the calendar year then you have a > 2/3rd
    chance of a substantial retracement in October.
    
    Not to mention the possible "train wreck" in mid-November. I pick 11/14
    as a good day for a selling climax (i.e., buying opportunity).
    
      John

>     I don't have the numbers handy, and probably would violate copyright
>     restrictions if I quoted, ...

	if you quoted a snippit you'd be fine.
  
>     Not to mention the possible "train wreck" in mid-November.

	there won't be a train wreck as the political ramifications for
	the republicans are worse than those for the pres. (based on
	current public opinion polls).

    The Business Week from two weeks ago had an article on Apple and
    its takeover chances.

Apple as a stock could prosper under three senarios:

1.  stock market takes off even further,
2.  the market/technology forces of Microsoft/Intel, plan or
    unplanned cause customers to move back to Apple,
3.  Takeover, LBO.

I have  no insight into 1 or 3. For #2, take a look at the notes
on Intel and Microsoft. 

Gim

    
    Reported in todays MERCURY TIMES .... Oracle mulling takeover of Apple.
    
     Ellison said that if he makes an offer, it would give current
    shareholders 60 percent in cash and 40 percent equity in the new
    Apple. But that would happen, he said, only if shareholders were
    willing to sell at the current share price.
      Apple's stock was up 87 1/2 cents per share, or 5 percent, to
    $17.62 1/2 in midday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
    
     My question:
    xxx Why would a stockholder be willing to sell at current price just to
    get 60 percent in cash and 40% in new company ... HOW is this better than
    just selling on open market at 17/share(current price) ???  
    

>     My question:
>    xxx Why would a stockholder be willing to sell at current price just to
>    get 60 percent in cash and 40% in new company ... HOW is this better than
>    just selling on open market at 17/share(current price) ???  

Hope this makes sense:    

The stockholders might feel that the takeover would turn Apple around,
resulting in an increased stock price. They may be holding on in hopes of the
stock turning around, as are some of us with DEC stock. They can either
reinvest the cash they get in Apple, or in something less risky than the
success of a turnaround, and still they'd have 40% of their stake in Apple
left. 

So for example, suppose Compaq made a similar offer to DEC shareholders. Compaq
would offer to purchase 60% of stockholders' shares at $28.25/share, and they'd
keep the other 40%. Compaq would then control DIGITAL and there could be a new
management. To the extent that a DEC stockholder believed this would enhance
share value compared to the status quo, s/he might welcome such a deal. This
scenario represents a rumor that was discussed in the DIGITAL_INVESTING
conference and some employees expressed a hope it would become reality, perhaps
in consideration of the value of their DEC holdings.

    A management team that understands software in control of a
    hardware company......
    
    Doesn't sound too bad at the moment.