ValueBuddies.com : Value Investing Forum - Singapore, Hong Kong, U.S.

Interesting news. Instead of launching another "toy smartwatch", Apple is looking at smartwatch with a purpose, and comes with a complete package... Good for Apple Inc...

Apple hires medical technology experts, fuelling iWatch rumours

LONDON — Apple has reportedly hired two medical technology experts, fuelling talk that the company’s rumoured iWatch could have a health focus.

Ms Nancy Dougherty from start-up Sano Intelligence and Mr Ravi Narasimhan from general medical devices firm Vital Connect joined Apple earlier this year.

In her former job, Ms Dougherty was in charge of hardware development, while Mr Narasimhan was the Vice-President of Research and Development at his previous employer.

It is believed that their combined experience could enable Apple to incorporate innovative health features into its rumoured smartwatch, helping the firm to compete in the burgeoning wearable electronics market.
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/apple-hi...ch-rumours

He is walking his talk...

Icahn boosts Apple stake to nearly S$4 billion

SAN FRANCISCO — Activist investor Carl Icahn lashed out against Apple again yesterday (Jan 22), and tweeted that he had bought US$500 million (S$640 million) more shares in the company in just the past two weeks, bringing his investment in the iPhone maker to over US$3 billion.

The billionaire, who has repeatedly urged Apple to return more cash to shareholders, told CNBC later in an interview he intends to buy more stock at some point in “one of the greatest no-brainers of all time”.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/icahn-bo...s4-billion

Aapl reached 500 level and icahn bought in again
Via his tweet last night.

Current holdings $3.6bn.

"No brainer" he says.

Aug 13, 2013 level was around $468
Crossed $3Bn on 21 Jan 2014

if its a no brainer how come warren buffett is not invested in APPLE?

Its either Buffet or Icahn is right. But I can see many people switching to Samsung phones.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/20...-fine.aspx

Warren Buffett Thinks Apple Is Doing Just Fine

By Daniel Sparks | More Articles
October 17, 2013 | Comments (2)

It's been a while since we've heard Warren Buffett's perspective on Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) stock. Yesterday, however, the Oracle of Omaha offered his latest opinion on the highest-profile company in tech: Apple management is doing just fine.

Buffett's opinion on Apple
Buffett has voiced his thoughts on Apple stock several times in the last few years. In 2012, he recounted a time when Steve Jobs called him up for advice on the company's burgeoning cash hoard. After Jobs said he thought Apple's stock was undervalued, trading at about $200 per share at the time, Buffett said, "I would use it for buybacks if I thought my stock was undervalued."

In March of this year, Buffett said Apple should buy back stock and ignore hedge fund manager David Einhorn's advice for a new dividend-paying preferred stock. In April, Apple did indeed announce a massive boost to its share repurchase program and ignored Einhorn's advice. Expanding the company's capital return program to $100 billion, Apple took Buffett's advice and significantly boosted its share repurchase authorization from $10 billion to $60 billion.

Now Buffett is back with his opinion on Apple. "I think the Apple management and directors have done a pretty darned good job of running the company," he told CNBC yesterday when asked for his thoughts on Carl Icahn's suggestion that Apple buy back even more stock. Apple shouldn't worry about Icahn, he seemed to suggest. Taking the idea further, Buffett said: "I do not think that companies should be run primarily to please Wall Street, and largely shareholders who are going to sell. I believe in running Berkshire for the shareholders who are going to stay, and not the ones who are going to leave."

Taking the long view
Given both Warren Buffett's approval of Apple's management and Carl Icahn's bullish outlook on the stock, is the Street's focus on Apple's current issues too shortsighted?

Sure, the iPhone 5c wasn't as cheap as investors expected. Yes, the company's gross profit margin may be down about 700 basis points from the year-ago quarter. But by simply taking a few steps back, Apple looks like a cash cow with a generous share repurchase program and a meaningful dividend yield of 2.5%. Best of all, the stock is incredibly cheap (even at $500), trading at just 12.6 times earnings and just 10.7 times free cash flow.

It's worth noting, however, that neither Buffett nor Icahn are really tech investors. In fact, they're historically tech averse much of the time. Both of their opinions, therefore, should be taken with a grain of salt. But they're both obviously great investors, so their thoughts are worth some consideration. If nothing else, Buffett's approval of Apple management and Icahn's bullishness on the stock help assure long-term Apple shareholders that the company is doing just fine.

Apple Buys Back $14 Billion of Its Shares in Two Weeks
By REUTERS
February 7, 2014

Apple has repurchased $14 billion of its stock in the two weeks since it reported disappointing first-quarter results, a company spokesman said.

Apple bought $12 billion of shares through an accelerated share repurchase program and $2 billion of shares from the open market, the spokesman said. An accelerated share repurchase usually involves a company buying its shares from an investment bank.

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) said the company generated more than $1 billion revenue from Apple TV in 2013. He also emphasized that the product is no longer just a hobby during the tech giant’s annual shareholder’s meeting on Friday.

“That hobby was over a billion dollars of revenue last year. It’s a little hard to call it a hobby anymore.” The amount generated by the company from Apple TV clearly shows that it is gaining popularity among consumers.

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) achieved the $1 billion revenue not just from selling its Apple TV set-top box, but also from contents sold through the device including movies and TV shows. During the first quarter of 2013, Cook revealed that the company sold more than 2 million Apple TVs—the device streams content from different video content providers such as Netflix to a TV. The tech giant is selling Apple TV for $99.



Last month, it had been reported that Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) will release a new version of the Apple TV set-to box in the first half of this year. According to reports, the refreshed product offers consumers with a better content experience. There were speculations that the company will add a game center and a version of the App Store.

During the shareholders meeting, Cook said the company is developing several products. Technology observer believe that Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is working on a wearable device such as a smartwatch, and some speculate that it will come up with a TV product that would transform the living room entertainment experience.

Cook said, “We’re working on some things that are extensions of things you can see and some that you can’t see.” He did not provide details regarding the new products on the pipeline. He said, “You can see we’re getting ripped off left, right and sideways.”

When asked about manufacturing in the United States, Cook mentioned that one of its suppliers opened a plant in Arizona to exclusively produce sapphire for the company. There had been speculations that Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is planning to used sapphire to develop scratch-resistant screens for its next iPhones. Cook refused to provide further details about the plant in Arizona citing that it was a” secret project.”

Furthermore, Cook said Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) will update shareholders regarding its plan on how to use its cash within 60 days. The company has approximately $160 billion cash by the end of 2013. Earlier this year, the company repurchased $14 billion worth of its own equities in two weeks amid pressure from activist investor, Carl Icahn to increase its current shares repurchase program by $50 billion.

The stock price Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) slight dropped and closed at $526.24 per share on Friday. The shares of the company declined from its highest level at $575.14 per share (over the past 52-week range) to its current trading price.

Smartstops.net, a stock market risk management firm show that the equities of Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) are at an elevated risk. The stock entered its current risk state last December 18 when it went down to $541.34 per share. Investors who pulled back their investment in the company when the stock entered in its most recent elevated risk state saved $47.80 per share.

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca9465e4-a08f-...z2utadA6BE

February 28, 2014 10:15 pm
Apple software to drive smart Ferrari
By Henry Foy and Daniel Thomas in London

First the mobile phone, now the car. Having revolutionised personal communication Apple now wants to change the way we drive.
The technology group will next week launch its first in-car operating system with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo as it attempts to take the lead in a fierce race to dominate tomorrow’s smart cars.
The breakthrough comes amid a swirl of market rumours that Apple could be eyeing a bid for electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Google and other technology companies are already working on plans to develop their own car models alongside traditional automotive manufacturers.

The deal marks the first time that Apple is embedding its software in devices other than its own branded products. The choice of the Ferrari, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz is seen to be in keeping with the US tech group’s high-end phones.
Apple’s head of internet software and services, Eddy Cue, joined the Ferrari board in 2012, saying at the time that he had “personally dreamed of owning a Ferrari since I was 8 years old and have been lucky to be an owner for the past 5 years.”
Cars connected to the internet and seamlessly integrated with personal communication devices are seen as the harbingers of vehicles that can drive themselves, mobile offices and “mobility solutions” for cities where all vehicles are controlled or monitored from a central database.
Carmakers are engaged in a fierce battle for control of car dashboards as incumbents fight with technology companies such as Microsoft and IBM to develop the software systems that will power the connected cars of tomorrow.
Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi, used his keynote speech at January’s Consumer Electronics Forum, the technology industry’s annual symposium, to herald a new era of “connected cars” that would see automobiles become “the largest social mobile devices we own.”
The official announcement of Apple’s deal will be made at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, sources told the Financial Times. A number of other manufacturers are expected to incorporate it into models in 2014. Apple, and the carmakers declined to comment
Drivers will be able to use Apple Maps as in-car navigation, as well as listen to music and watch films. Calls can be made through the system, which will tie into the Siri voice recognition platform so that messages can be read to the driver who can respond by dictating a reply.
An Apple powered car has been expected since the launch of its updated iOS 7 software. Cars can already play music through Apple devices but this allows the iOS software on the screen to be built into the car.
Apple showed the first images of the “iOS in the Car” platform at a developer conference last year, which in effect mirrors the iPhone on the in-car display.

Ferarri is unreachable to most and impact of aapl to share price is but a trickle unlike bbry's QNX which is more widely deployed.

Personally, google's self drive tech car is leading by leaps and bounce.

For voice control, nuance (NUAN) was said to develop aapl's siri.

Nuance is said to be deployed into smart TV.