[btober]

I need some help defining the features and benefits of investing in Apple stock...

A "feature" is a distinct characteristic of the stock or company.

A "benefit" is something positive that results due to one or more features.

Any help is appreciated!

[businezguy]

Feature: Apple spends the most on, and has the best R&D department of any computer manufacturer.

Benefit: Apple can create cutting edge technology needed for personal computers such as firewire, USB, etc. Also, Apple can create technology that will benefit itself, such as the iPod, and Mac OS X. Apple's R&D department has been extremely beneficial to the industry, and allows Apple to offer innovation not found with computer manufacturers such as Dell.

[beb]

Someday it'll get back up to $42 a share.

[Apple_John]

if it can go back $25 before 04, I am happy...
AAPL beats the street, still go down...

[euchomai]

I'll go with the R&D thing too. They might actually invent something with that awesome team they have. Now they have to market it right.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

don't buy apple stock because you have personal feelings attached to the investment meaning you are biased and it influences your decisions


let's face it. want to make a smart investment? buy Mircrosft. It's been a big performer since they went public.

[ambush]

not a good investment if you ask me. anyway, it's risky, but in a negative way.

[Krusty]

I'm still kicking myself for not buying after the Vivendi rumor when AAPL plummeted to about 12.50 for a week. At that point, its market cap was about 4.5bln, they were in the black, and had about 4.5bln cash-on-hand !! Nowadays ... who knows ?

[Shaddim]

I've got some AAPL, and I'll hold on to it (got it at 13.8). However, the smart money's on Wal-Mart. Buy as many shares of it as you can, as often as you can, and cash-in when you retire. You'll be a filthy friggin' rich.

[btober]

Thanks for any help!

But I'm not asking whether I should invest in Apple. For part of a project, I need to sell Apple stock - so I'm looking for ways to market it.

Thanks

[insha]

I have invested in AAPL , biased or not, I will continue to do that until I have a major presence in this company.

[el chupacabra]

Negatives:

The stock market is going to go down as Bush drives the economy into the ground...pulling apple with it, remember the stock market is not controled by what a good company you invest in but rather how good people think the company is compared to other stocks. I wouldn't say apple is inflated right now but it will be in comparison to other companies as the recession picks up again....that is unless im wrong about the the direction the economy is going but I seldom am.

[veritas68]

If Apple ever hits $25, I'm selling all my stock immeadiatly.

- Ca$h

[dtriska]

As a finance major, I'm finding this thread quite funny.

1) Don't complain about your loss over the entire 4 months you've held a stock. The stock market is a long-term investment. If you're not willing to keep your money in the market for at least five years, don't invest in stocks in the first place.

2) Don't kick yourself for missing out on a buying opportunity. Great stock returns come from holding over a long period. Buy the stock you want now. It'll be worth it in 20+ years.

3) Don't wait for Apple's stock price to reach the same price you paid before you sell. That's just foolish pride. Sell now, and put the money into something that has a better chance of growing. Can you imagine holding onto a stock for 4 years because the price stayed $1 under your sell price? You'd be better off selling the stock, and investing in a 4 year GIC.

[el chupacabra]

Originally posted by dtriska:
As a finance major, I'm finding this thread quite funny.

1) Don't complain about your loss over the entire 4 months you've held a stock. The stock market is a long-term investment. If you're not willing to keep your money in the market for at least five years, don't invest in stocks in the first place.

Long term investments suck. My finance teachers told me to do long term investing, then they lost all their "nest egg" between 1999 and 2000. In fact thats what most stock holders do. And their the ones I make money off of. Its funny people tell me how they inherited some stock in say microsoft 20 years ago and that one day its going to mature and they will sell it for a hefty sum. If only they knew they could of sold it high several times years ago and rebaught it again and again making money, but no they will settle for something as little as what could be made in a CD. A fundamental law of the market is it goes up and down, just buy low and sell high, every few months.

[dtriska]

Yeah, I've heard those arguments, too. However, empirical evidence shows that passive investing (buy-and-hold) returns the same as active investing over time.

Of course there are exceptions (the last couple of years have been great buying opportunities due to the bubble bursting in 2000/01), but overall the stock market is a long-term investment.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally posted by dtriska:
As a finance major, I'm finding this thread quite funny.

Even from my basic liberal arts classes from my art school i get what you are saying but you just want to get your point across in Macnn threads.

Who knows what he's using the info from this thread for? it could be just for a school report.

[NYCFarmboy]

From Spymac.com:

Unloading on Apple
09 12 03 | 07:50 AM (@660) | BY Amy Percival

Rob Enderle, a columnist with TechNewsWorld, has a lot to say about Apple, and little of it is good. Though he does, near the end of the article, mention that Apple may do a better job of packaging its products than competitors, he also thinks it's time that "Jobs stopped sitting around milking his installed base and started thinking outside the box." While calling Apple a "bad company" with "good products," Mr. Enderle adds that the only IT department he ever saw get fired was fired for buying Apple. In condemning Apple, he also makes mention of paid upgrades for OS X, the "closed" nature of iTunes Music Store purchases, and mentions that "Apple has nothing like the Media Center PC," despite the fact that the "Media Center PC" was at least in part created to compete with Apple machines and iApps.

The oddest of all Mr. Enderle's statements, and the one (among many) that most leaves the impression that he hates Steve Jobs and is using the article as a vehicle for his distate, may be the one regarding Tablet PC's: "This impression that Apple is out to lunch from an open-systems perspective is enhanced by Steve Jobs publicly saying that the Tablet PC is a niche product. This is sadly ironic, given that Apple gave up the PDA market to Palm and Microsoft as a result of one of his decisions. Like a lot of CEOs, Jobs seems to think it is more important not to admit he was wrong than to correct a mistake." Mr. Enderle makes these statements despite the fact that Tablet PCs aren't selling, and are, in fact, a niche product.



My comments: the statements are obviously biased, but as in everything there is a kernal of truth to them.

I think Steve Jobs is a visionary, and obviously gifted individual

However:

Having to pay for Panther in my opinion is wrong. I purchased X, I purchased X.2 now I have to purchase X.3. Was I forced? No..I could have went to windows, or stayed on 9. I'm at this point ambivelant on Panther just because I don't see any real improvements over Jaguar.

How does this relate to buying Apple stock: My opinion, the company produces great niche products that are very much in demand by a small percentage of the market place. I am getting a new 17" Powerbook tomorrow, and am very excited about it. However, I would not purchase Apple stock. I don't think the company is going to go away, I think it will end up being a 5% max marketshare niche computer company. Which is great. But I don't see that translating into huge gains for Apple shares. Apple is doing alot of things now that I think portend an ugly future narrowing the mac platform more and more over time.

I don't think Apple should be competing with Adobe on application software. Yes I use Final Cut Pro 4, its the best out there on a Mac. But if you are in Adobe's shoes now, how much money are you going to spend developing software for the Macintosh system if you think Apple is going to push you out completely.

Which means, less choice for Mac users over time, and perhaps fewer users.

[veritas68]

Originally posted by dtriska:
As a finance major, I'm finding this thread quite funny.

1) Don't complain about your loss over the entire 4 months you've held a stock. The stock market is a long-term investment. If you're not willing to keep your money in the market for at least five years, don't invest in stocks in the first place.

I've had it for over 4 years.

2) Don't kick yourself for missing out on a buying opportunity. Great stock returns come from holding over a long period. Buy the stock you want now. It'll be worth it in 20+ years.

You know... I bought it figuring OSX might help its stock. Nope. New iMacs might. Nope. Huge iPod sales. Nope. Tibook introduction. Nope. Jaguar and G5s. Nope.

Point is, it doesn't matter if Apple reinvents the wheel, and comes up with a computer that can cook breakfast for you and make your life 400X better and it only costs $100, their f*cking stock will not go up.

3) Don't wait for Apple's stock price to reach the same price you paid before you sell. That's just foolish pride. Sell now, and put the money into something that has a better chance of growing. Can you imagine holding onto a stock for 4 years because the price stayed $1 under your sell price? You'd be better off selling the stock, and investing in a 4 year GIC.

I bought it at 18. It was 'supposedly' low at the time. Then it went up to 23. Then down to 13. Then up to 23. Then down to 16. Then up to 23. It never EVER ****ing goes above 25.

- Ca$h

[dtriska]

Oh, okay. I thought you had held the stock for only a year or so.

Wall Street does seem to discount Apple. It's probably the ingrained "beleaguered company" syndrome, or something similar.

Anyway, if Apple posts some really good numbers over the next few months from its music sales, the stock should rise enough for 'ya.