Apple is on the bounce again. An extraordinary capital gain (market cap) of 100 billion usd in a month and a half. Shares are just over 500 usd.
An average of 49 Wall Street shops, estimate it should be 525 usd.
In June, their shares were at 2011 levels so this is some ride. And not a good one because that shows both volatility and uncertainty.
They did report good numbers for Q3 (although net profit still declines) and they had a Twitter bounce from an investor, Carl Icahn, showing confidence through seeking accelerated share buy-back programs. Of course Icahn's two tweets also increased his own Apple wealth.
However, if Apple does so and uses its cash pile to buy back stock, the share price will likely extend further - with some suggesting 700 usd, its all-time high.
But with, wait for it, Apple have 145 billion usd in cash and a real strong market brand so Apple is still great and it's still innovating although not to the same extent.
The new Iphone launch in September should further boost matters and the expected launch of a cheaper, limited IPhone will help too. Apple TV could dominate that market too.
IPhone releases have historically pushed up share values - but be careful - everyone knows that. However, things are good at Apple and just got a whole lot better in the last month and a half, with good expectations ahead. But the volatility is a worry....you can gain a 100 billion in a month but the converse applies.
With their levels of cash though, it's a long, long way to fall.
The great thing about being in tech and digital is that nothing is ridiculous. Email 10 years ago was a fantasy..... never mind downloading music or books to your phone. When I was selling email to corporates, the biggest obstacle was that "no one else has it". 10 years ago.
Invention requires the ridiculous thought.
For many years now I've dreamt that transport, personal transport, was the next frontier. Getting from A to B in a car, with all the traffic and road building needs, seems an old fashioned way to go. Far better, to use the uncluttered sky and far quicker. I have no doubt that my kids will travel this way.
NASA have been developing an all electric, one-man home plane called 'Puffin' which flies with vertical take-off and landing allowing you to "park" in your back garden. Not there yet, but it will be.
But yesterday, New Zealand Air regulators have licensed a personal jet pack developed by 'Martin Aircraft' called the P12. It's an experimental personal permit allowing testing 20 feet above ground on un-inhabited water or land areas but it's a big leap forward. The pilot (you and me) straps themselves into a frame and controls it by way of two joysticks with a rocket propelled parachute in the event of trouble.
Ideal, initially, for first-time responders such as emergency crews, and indeed with clear military applications, it is expected to be available generally to the N Zealand public in 2015. Ambitious perhaps, but it is on the way. And it's expensive....for now.
It's also big and cumbersome - not unlike the first computers - but all of that will develop, producing a better, lighter, more affordable version. The big driver here will be demand and unlimited demand there will undoubtedly be.
There's a real sense that technology is easily well advanced to provide personal flying and regulators will come on board in time. It's the new frontier that will require so many sub-systems (mapping, comms, etc) it's going to create another technology wave.
My kids will fly to work. Ridiculous? There's no doubt about it.
