CALDEIRÃO DE BOLSA

Posted on 16 February 2011. This article was written by: Sam Fallen

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock accumulates bullish momentum coupled with sound technical support leaving traders to witness continual all-time highs
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock persists on gaining steam and bullish momentum after having a brief scare with the 50 SMA on a couple different occasions during January trading.  Aside from a new high being posted for two consecutive days now being evidence that AAPL is gaining more ground, shares have not yielded to closing under the 10 SMA for 24 trading weeks in a row (on the weekly chart,) and 12 days on the daily.
Technical factors with AAPL are becoming increasingly strong, with none of the mainstream, generally respected ones showing any sign of letting up on positive bias.  Street estimates have the company pegged for a heightened volume of laptop shipments while Bank of America has a standing target price on AAPL at a lofty $450 per share.  At the moment, it seems that no wrong can be done -  yet shareholders would rather nobody mention anything about Jobs coming down with a common cold as it is nearly guaranteed to have AAPL retrace.

Apple demands 30% slice of subscriptions

Updated rules to broaden controls over commerce via iPad and iPhone

Apple is dictating tougher terms of commerce on its wildly successful mobile devices, demanding a 30 per cent cut of all subscriber content sold directly through its iPads and iPhones.

The new rules, which apply internationally, say that if publishers offer digital subscriptions they must make the same offer through the App Store. Publishers can still offer subscriptions through their own websites, but cannot link to the website from their app.

The change, which publishers expect will send more subscribers through Apple’s digital content store, will probably affect the revenues that content owners earn from the surging tablet and smartphone market, as Apple will take 30 per cent of any payments it processes.

“It offers some opportunities for publishers, but they shouldn’t get too excited too quickly,” said Ned May, lead analyst at Outsell. “Apple wants to make money off of content, not just devices, and publishers are facing a shrinking pool.”

Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, who has remained involved in Apple’s activities in spite of being on medical leave , said that the policy would allow publishers “to expand digital access to their content”.

“Our philosophy is simple: when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 per cent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 per cent and Apple earns nothing,” Mr Jobs said.

News and magazine publishers had pushed for a subscription service, and for clarity about its rules, but the expansion of the subscription offer to video and music had not been expected. Publishers have been concerned that Apple will end up controlling the billing relationship with their customers, depriving them of valuable data.

On Tuesday, Apple made a partial concession, saying users who subscribe through the App Store could also offer their personal information to publishers

“It is clear some of this has been coming to a head,” said Mr May. “I don’t think this is going to end the tension here.”

Atomez Escreveu:A minha pequena estratégia na AAPL e que tem dado bons resultados, é assim:(...)

MIGUELV73 Escreveu:Apesar do RSI estar um pouco esticado ela lá vai subindo!

Ainda é de entrar?

Atomez Escreveu:

Mas mesmo que seja apenas um rumor deliberadamente "largado" pela Apple, so what?

Rockerduck Escreveu:

Atomez Escreveu:A Apple prepara-se para lançar novos iPhones, iPads e serviços para entrar em novos segmentos de mercado.

Segundo o Blog do iPhone esse será mais um dos rumores que a Apple sabe gerir tão bem de forma a conseguir relevância e "sound bytes" em eventos onde não marca presença como o que está a decorrer esta semana em Barcelona, o Mobile World Congress (MWC), evento onde vários fabricantes estão lançando novidades na área de smartphones e tablets.

Atomez Escreveu:A Apple prepara-se para lançar novos iPhones, iPads e serviços para entrar em novos segmentos de mercado.

São dois os grandes motivos para a Apple não adotar um modelo menor de aparelho, por mais que os pseudo-especialistas insistam de que isso faça sentido.

Primeiro: tamanho de telas diferentes complicam a vida dos desenvolvedores. Um dos pontos fortes da Apple hoje (e que até a Nokia inveja) é sua base de desenvolvedores, que criam diariamente novos aplicativos para os iGadgets. O padrão estabelecido pelo sistema é o que torna a plataforma uniforme e segura, e fragmentar os aparelhos seria ir de encontro ao que o próprio Steve Jobs prega e que até Tim Cook já afirmou. Será que os jornalistas esqueceram isso ou há alguma intenção desconhecida para divulgar uma “notícia” dessas, sem nenhuma evidência concreta?

O segundo grande motivo que faz com que a Apple não precise se preocupar ainda com a concorrência é que ela possui atualmente um problema muito maior: não consegue fabricar aparelhos suficientes para suprir a demanda. Se não há nem iPhone 4 o bastante para todos que querem comprar, por que raios ela iria inventar moda com um novo aparelho, ainda mais barato? A Apple é a empresa que mais fatura no setor de telefonia não é por acaso: seu alvo são produtos de valor mais elevado. Por isso, um iPhone mini agora não tem o menor sentido.

Apple Develops Less-Expensive iPhones

Apple Inc. is working on the first of a new line of less-expensive iPhones and an overhaul of software services for the devices, people familiar with the matter said, moving to accelerate sales of its smartphones amid growing competition.

One of the people, who saw a prototype of the phone late last year, said it is intended for sale alongside Apple's existing line. The new device would be about half the size of the iPhone 4, which is the current model.

The new phone—one of its code names is N97—would be available to carriers at about half the price of the main iPhones. That would allow carriers to subsidize most or all of the retail price, putting the iPhone in the same mass-market price range as rival smartphones, the person said. Apple currently sells iPhones to carriers for $625 each on average. With carrier subsidies, consumers can buy iPhones for as little as $199 with a two-year contract.

Apple also is exploring a major revamp of its MobileMe online storage service, the people familiar with the matter said. The service, which lets users store data in a central location and synchronize their calendars and contacts among computers and other devices, currently has an individual annual subscription fee of $99. Apple is considering making MobileMe a free service that would serve as a "locker" for personal memorabilia such as photos, music and videos, eliminating the need for devices to carry a lot of memory, the people familiar with the situation said.

MobileMe, part of an industry wave known as cloud computing, also could become a focal point for a new online music service that Apple has been developing for more than a year, the people said. Social networking would be another key component, one of the people said.

MobileMe and the new line of iPhones are among the top priorities of Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, one of the people said. Though Mr. Jobs, 55 years old, went on medical leave for an undisclosed health issue last month, he has been closely involved in the development efforts, the person said.

The new line of iPhones and the revamped MobileMe are intended for release this summer, though those plans could change, the person said.

What was behind Thursday's Apple stock flash crash?
 
Shares hit by huge selloff in early afternoon before reboundingFebruary 10, 2011, 06:27 PM — 
First, the facts. Then some perspective. Finally, we'll get to the speculation.

Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) experienced a sudden selloff shortly after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, dropping shares to $348 from $355. Volume spiked during the flash selloff, as you can see from the chart below:

EDGAR Online
By the time the final trading bell rang, Apple was at 354.54, down 3.62, or 1.01 percent, from Wednesday's close of 358.16. Volume for the day was 33.1 million shares, nearly twice the volume of any other day in February.

(Also see: The Verizon iPhone - where are the lines of customers?)

Perspective: The spike only dropped shares 2 percent, hardly a cause for alarm. Indeed, Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) shareholders would have killed for a loss like that today. Instead Cisco lost more than 14 percent of its value, thanks to a weak sales forecast and shrinking margins.

Also, while the volume of Apple shares bought and sold was nearly double any other day this month, it's not unprecedented. On Jan. 18, the day after chief executive Steve Jobs announced he was taking an indefinite medical leave of absence, 66 million shares were traded, and another 40.5 million moved the day after. Granted, that was extraordinary news. But Apple shares easily do more volume than they did Thursday during the run-up to and on the days after the company reports earnings.

Finally, in terms of perspective, Apple also hit an all-time high Thursday of $360 per share.

Now, for speculation: What caused the Apple flash crash of Feb. 10, 2011? Could it have been the news that lines outside Verizon stores for Apple's iPhone 4 -- on sale to the general public for the first time Thursday -- were disappointingly small? Maybe, but that strikes me as awfully reactive of investors. The early afternoon selloff was sharp and hard, as if someone had suddenly yelled "Fire!" in a building.

Fortune's Philip Elmer-DeWitt quotes an analyst who discounts this theory:

"The selling is not normal just for negative news," wrote Bullish Cross' Andy Zaky in an e-mail. "There was a huge spike where dollars were being skipped in the selling. I saw Apple tick from $351.70 to $349.00 within seconds. There's something else. The selling was not normal. That's for sure."

DeWitt then cites an article on Stock Tick Tock, which reported that rumors were floating around Yahoo message boards and Twitter that Jobs was in the hospital. Apparently he's not.

Were Apple shares temporarily gamed by shorts? It's beginning to look like it. If so, floating a nasty rumor about a guy with seemingly serious health problems just to make a windfall profit in the market is a pretty sleazy thing to do. Money does strange things to people.

Wall Street Journal Escreveu:Apple's products are rapidly gaining traction in the business world.

Could the reign of the BlackBerry as the City's smartphone of choice be coming to an end?
Last month, two Deutsche Bank analysts released a report praising Apple's corporate email services, following a two-month trial in which they swapped their BlackBerry handsets for iPhones.

Now UBS has confirmed that more than 1,000 staff members are taking part in a pilot program that allows them to access company emails, calendars and contacts using a secure application for the iPhone and iPad.

A spokesman for UBS said employees across the bank's divisions had been testing the app since it was launched last year, although the bank stressed it was for use on personal handsets and it doesn't offer Apple devices to its staff.

Despite being better known for entertaining distractions like music or the popular Angry Birds game, Apple's products are rapidly gaining traction in the business world.

Last week Deutsche Bank technology analysts Chris Whitmore and Joakim Mahlberg sent out a research note comparing BlackBerry and iPhone functions for business users.

In the report, Mr. Whitmore, who has a history of tipping Apple stock, said the iPhone was better able to combine personal and corporate use, while its ability to access multiple apps, such as Bloomberg's, was a selling point.

He concluded: "After testing corporate email on iPhone for the past few months, there is no going back. We expect a lot of users will feel the same way when iPhones are offered at their workplaces."

The Deutsche analysts were using the Enterprise email system, which they say is: "served using Microsoft Exchange through a Good Technologies interface which looks and feels like accessing a Gmail account on the iPhone."

They "found Enterprise email on iPhone was a fantastic experience as it was easy/faster to access data [with a touch user interface] than on the BlackBerry."

A spokesman for Deutsche said the report was the opinion of analysts testing new technology rather than firm policy; however it will be further cause for concern for BlackBerry makers Research in Motion.

Commenting on its own program, UBS group's Chief Information Officer Michele Trogni told The Wall Street Journal: "Employees have reacted very positively to this pilot and the bank is now testing many further applications on Apple and other mobile devices that will drive productivity for our staff and clients."

Meanwhile Eversheds, a U.K. top-10 law firm, launched a trial last year in which it offered free iPads to 50 staff members. Eversheds' chief information officer Paul Caris described it as a "phenomenal success" and has now procured an additional 250 to give to employees; even the firm's managing partner Lee Ranson uses one.

The iPads are used alongside, rather than instead of, corporate phones, usually as an alternative to a laptop, and staff are free to use them for personal as well as business applications. Mr. Caris says this is a key factor in their success, adding: "How many people actually enjoy the experience of accessing corporate systems?"

In terms of business phones, the firm allows staff to choose whether they would like to use a BlackBerry, iPhone or rival models made by Google or Microsoft.

And in November last year it emerged JP Morgan was distributing free iPads to associates in its investment-banking division.

A leaked email said the pilot program would last until May, when the bank would decide whether or not to extend it, it was reported.

"We believe there are real benefits in our working environment that can be realized using this device—as well as the personal productivity and enjoyment that come as part of the package," the email said. JP Morgan, however, declined to comment.

Last year Standard Chartered became the first major bank to officially switch to Apple, offering iPhones to 15,000 of its employees.

Research in Motion has responded by launching a tablet device of its own, due for release this year. The firm also declined to comment.

carcanhol_II Escreveu:De resto não ficava também nada mal no "of-topic para a descontra"

Apple shareholder proposal to force reveal of Steve Jobs succession plan gains support





An Apple shareholder proposal to force the tech giant to publicly release a succession plan for Chief Executive Steve Jobs has been backed by Institutional Shareholder Services, a company considered to be one of the most highly influential of investor advisors.

The proposal was submitted by the Central Laborers Pension Fund in August, before Jobs announced his indefinite medical leave last month. Jobs handed most of his daily responsibilities over to Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook but retained his CEO title.

The Central Laborers Pension Fund fund owns about 11,500 shares in Apple, or about a thousandth of 1% of the Cupertino company's outstanding shares, according to the Associated Press.

ISS, a company that consults institutional investors on how to vote on such shareholder measures, also called for Apple's board to release such a plan to shareholders annually.

In a statement on the Central Laborers proposal, the ISS said, "All companies should have succession planning policies and succession plans in place, and boards should periodically review and update them."

The measure will go up for an Apple shareholder vote at the company's annual meeting on Feb. 23.

In its 2011 Investor Proxy Statement, released on Jan. 7, Apple asked shareholders to vote against the measure.

"Not just the CEO, is critical to Apple's success," Apple's board of directors said in the proxy statement. "Accordingly, the Board already implements many of the proposed actions and maintains a comprehensive succession plan throughout the organization."

In the proxy statement, Apple said it commits an annual review of succession planning for its senior management, including its chief executive.

"As part of this annual review, the Board has a formal evaluation process in which it identifies and recommends development of internal candidates for succession based on criteria that reflect Apple’s business strategy," Apple's proxy statement said.

Such a move would "undermine the Company's efforts to recruit and retain executives" and "invites competitors to recruit high-value executives away from Apple. Furthermore, executives who are not identified as potential successors may choose to voluntarily leave the Company," Apple said.

Aside from ISS, the Central Laborers proposition is also supported by the Laborers International Union of North America.

In a statement, Laborers International said: "We're concerned to hear the news about Steve Jobs' health and hope to see him return to full duties soon. However, this news demonstrates the need for Apple to do well by its shareholders, including our members' pension funds."

The group said it has successfully proposed similar CEO succession proposals to companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Verizon and American Express.

Laborers International also said Apple had misconstrued its proposal.

"We do not expect them to provide specific names of future executives, but merely demonstrate they have a plan in place for naming one," the group said. "This proposal would not only benefit our members' retirement savings, but also would give reassurance to other Apple shareholders and help the company."

Finantial Times Escreveu:‘Wave and pay’ technology for iPhone 5

Apple is expected to install “wave and pay” technology for the next version of its iPhone, boosting mobile commerce and potentially giving the company a big piece of the multibillion-dollar transaction industry.

The iPhone 5, due out this year, is likely to incorporate technology called Near-Field Communication, which incorporates financial account information and ties that data to specific devices, according to Asian suppliers and others who have been in talks with Apple.

“I do believe the iPhone 5 will have NFC embedded,” said Bill Gajda, Visa’s head of mobile innovation, one of those in ­discussions with Apple.

Apple declined to comment.

Samsung and other handset makers who use Google’s Android smartphone software are already putting NFC in new models, and Research in Motion and Nokia are embracing the technology as well.

NFC works at a range of four to five inches via point of sale scanners and is considered more secure than RFID and other touchless technologies.

Apple could bring the system to a broad audience rapidly by putting it in all versions of its phones. Owners of iPhones are typically heavy users of data and their upscale demographic makes them a desired target for businesses.

Apple also brings to the table credit card numbers it has on file for more than 100m users of iTunes, the digital storefront for entertainment and software downloads. That could give it the leverage to extract better terms from card issuers, who typically tack on fees of roughly 2 per cent to retailers who accept their systems.

Apple could also decide to go it alone, keeping transactions in-house, said Richard Doherty, an engineering consultant who has spoken with Asian equipment suppliers bidding for inclusion in the next iPhone.

Mr Gajda said he hoped that Apple would adopt an “open” strategy that would allow consumers to decide which accounts to tie to their phone.

Large retailers who do not yet have NFC scanners would have to spend heavily to switch to new terminals, Mr Doherty warned, though it would be easy for smaller outlets that rent such terminals to start leasing NFC-capable machines instead.

US wave and pay trials have, thus far, been small. Visa has been working with some card­issuing banks, for example, who mail small cards with financial credentials that can be inserted into the iPhone and other smartphones.

Elias Escreveu:Pois, mas convenhamos que o SJ escolheu o timing perfeito para anunciar a sua baixa médica, ao fazê-lo na véspera de resultados que sabia serem muito bons.

Apple Price Target Raised to $550 by Ticonderoga Securities Analyst White



Apple Inc. had its price target raised to $550 at Ticonderoga Securities LLC after reporting profit and sales that exceeded analysts’ estimates, even as Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs takes a leave of absence.

The price target by Ticonderoga’s Brian White is the highest among analysts surveyed by Bloomberg and 61 percent more than yesterday’s closing price. The target is 14 percent more than the next highest projection, $483 from Piper Jaffray Cos.

“Despite Monday’s news regarding Steve Jobs’s medical leave of absence, we believe it will be difficult to keep Apple’s stock from reaching new highs given the much stronger than expected quarter and outlook reported by the company last night,” White, an analyst in New York, said in a note today.

A $550 share price would value Apple at $506.6 billion, making it the largest company in the world by market capitalization. Exxon Mobil Corp. currently has the biggest market value, $396.9 billion as of yesterday’s closing price.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, reported first quarter net income of $6 billion, or $6.43 a share, from $3.38 billion, or $3.67 a year earlier. Sales increased 71 percent from a year earlier to a record $26.7 billion.

Jobs announced Jan. 17 he was stepping away from day-to-day responsibilities at Apple to tend to his health, after a liver transplant in 2009. It’s his third leave of absence since 2004.

Apple will likely sell 68.5 million iPhones and 27.4 million iPads this fiscal year, according to Ticonderoga projections. Demand from Chinese consumers will help boost Apple’s future sales, White wrote.

Apple rose $3.25 to $343.90 at 10:09 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The stock rose 53 percent last year.