You know what, I’m thinking Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) might be a stock worth investing some money into over the long haul.  Now by no means am I a stock investor, or an analyst.  But I’m just looking at the this from an average Joe position.

Just yesterday, Apple beat out Exxon Mobile to become the world’s most valuable company with Apple earning what is now (as of 1:17pm EST, 8.12.11) a market cap of 350.40 billion dollar – something Apple has never accomplished before.

So you’d think that Apple is growing by leaps and bounds, and you’d be right – it is.  But consider also that Apple hasn’t even broken ground in any major way in China yet with the iPhone and iPad.  And also consider, according to Apple Insider, that Apple’s iPhone has only 4 percent to 5 percent share of all mobile phones, and the Mac owns a similar share of total PC sales.

According to Shaw Wu with Sterne Agee, “We believe AAPL has opportunity to double or potentially even triple its market share in these end markets over the next few years, particularly with Greater China and international as underpenetrated opportunities.”

And just glancing at the media frenzy that’s already building around the upcoming Apple iPhone 5 and iPad 3, or iPad HD – and couple that with these products launching in China and other international companies, you’re talking about something on the scale that the world has never before seen.

So you think AAPL stock and market cap is through the roof now, wait until it doubles or triples in value.  With AAPL market cap right now sitting at 350.40 billion – multiply that by 3 and you have a company with market cap of 1.05 trillion (that’s right – trillion) dollars.

image by AppAdvice

Apple’s market capitalization now totals $337.17 billion.  Exxon Mobile’s market cap sits at $330.77 billion.  Looking at these two numbers tells us that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is now the world’s most valuable company.  This is the first time in history that Apple has achieved this level of value in market capitalization.

Apple achieved this mark briefly on Tuesday around noon, surpassing Exxon Mobile during the middle of the trading day.  However, Apple shares pulled back and their market cap dropped back below Exxon (NYSE:XOM).  But it didn’t take long on Wednesday for the changing tide to take hold once again and put Apple back on top where it stayed throughout the day and into the closing.

Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices have been a catapult to the market valuation of the company.  It was too long ago that Apple was a struggling firm, and investors were contemplating removing Steve Jobs from the top post as they had done before.

However, with iPhone, and then the iPad, Apple has become a study how product development, marketing, and business savvy can elevate a company to success.

And there’s no end in sight for the heights that Apple can climb.  The new, and perhaps the most successful, Apple iPhone 5 is set to be released this fall along with a new iteration of the iPad, perhaps the iPad 3 or iPad HD.  These new device releases will once again show the world who is truly king in the smartphone and tablet space.

Heck, what am I talking about… Apple invented the tablet space!

When Apple rose to a high of $369.89 per share it had a $342.8 billion market share, and when Exxon fell to $68.78 per share it had a $334.41 billion market share.  This gave Apple (AAPL) the crown as the richest stock in the world.

However, things didn’t stay like this for long.  Apple closed with a market cap of $346.74B and Exxon closed with a 348.32B.  But as you can see, the spread is not too far apart and with slight movement either way, Apple could easily take the crown once again.

And with the price of oil closing down 2.47% today, Exxon’s stock could have more drag on it in tomorrow’s trading.  We’ll just have to wait and see if Apple can actually work it’s way into the world’s richest stock.

via HuffPost

Apple has a huge week, and their stock (NASDAQ:AAPL) ended up closing over 7% for the week ending July 22nd.   On Wednesday, Apple announced a record breaking quarter.  During the earnings call, shares on Apple stock were halted temporarily.  But the stock opened up again for trading, it popped instantly over 400.  This was the first time in the history of the company that Apple share prices exceeded $400 per share.  But then, quickly thereafter, the stock price came back down to earth.  Apple’s stock price ended the week at 393.30, up 28.38 (7.78%).

Apple’s shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) broke $400 this morning for the first time ever, releasing investors into a frenzy on Wall Street.

Apple’s earnings were released today and once again, the Cuppertino company has Wall Street in a frenzy over the likes of the iPhone and iPad domination.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said today, “we’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent.” Continuing with “right now, we’re very focused and excited about bringing iOS 5 and iCloud to our users this fall.“

Apple earned $7.31 billion in net profit on revenue of $28.57 billion for the June quarter – both of which are records for Apple.

Trading for Apple shares was halted during the earning call today.  But then, once trading resumed on Wall Street for the almighty AAPL, the stock price surged 8% and blasted into the $400 range for the first time in the history of the company.

Trading for Apple shares has since come back down to earth with the stock trading currently at 388.68, +11.83 (3.14%).

via Google Finance

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Closed At All Time High on Friday at 364.92 on news of a whole lineup of new products in the pipeline.

Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed on Friday at all time high at $364.92, which was up $7.15 on the day’s trading.

It’s going to be interesting to see where Apple shares open tomorrow morning, especially with the recent news last week about a possible delay of the iPhone 5 due to the processor overheating.

Apple’s stock has been elevated mostly with rumors of a flurry of new products in the pipeline – a new iPhone 5, iPad HD, new MacBook Airs, Mac Mini’s, Mac Pro’s, and even new OS’s with OS X and iOS.

It’s impressive to say the least.  Now Apple just needs to deliver.

via MacRumors

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares are on the rise in Wednesday trading due to financial reports showing that Apple retail store growth is outpacing overall Apple growth.  Apple shares (AAPL) are up +1.54 (0.44%) trading at 349.83 per share. Retail sales grew 90 percent to $3.19 billion, compared with overall revenue growth of 86 percent.  Apple currently runs 323 retail stores worldwide. Same-store visitors surpassed the 800 million mark in 2010, and Apple is expecting to serve its one-billionth customer perhaps this year (2011).

The store concept is working well for Apple, obviously.  And as a result of this “brick and mortar” concept, other tech companies seem to be following suit.  For example, Microsoft opened their first retail location just last year.

via Google Finance

Apple’s free iPhone 4 Bumper Case program is scheduled to come to an end on September 30th. The free Bumper Case program was a result of the iPhone 4 antenna issue – otherwise known as the grip of death. This is where they iPhone 4 would lose antenna signal strength based on the way you held the device.

So in response to the grip of death issue, and as a result of heavy PR pressure, Apple decided to give away free Bumper Cases for through the Apple Retail Store to any iPhone 4 owner who wanted one.

Ironically, Apple says that the actual number of people that have come forward requesting a free Bumper Case has been minimal, at best.

Apple set aside $175 million to cover the cost of the free iPhone 4 Bumper Cases, but they don’t expect to utilize the full allocated amount.

So in turn, what might end up happening in Apple’s stock price will rise due to the amount of money left to put back into the company.

Interesting how things work out…

via AppleInsider

Apple shares have been able to rise above the overall tech sector so far in the month of August.

The NASDAQ (NASDAQ:.IXIC) is currently at 2,178.95, -19.28 (-0.88%) for the month.

Apple share (NASDAQ:AAPL) are currently at 249.88, +4.3 (1.75%).

I see one definitive reason as to why Apple is staying way ahead of its competitors, and it all has to do with the iPad.

While all other competitors are preparing to launch their first iPad competitor, Apple is getting ready to launch it’s next iteration of the iPad – the 7 inch iPad.

I would call this the 3rd generation iPad actually.

We first saw the iPad Wi-Fi only version.

Then came the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G version.

And now we are about to have the iPad 7 inch tablet.

Again, it’s a good indication of why Apple is rising above the tech sector as whole.

Thoughts?

via Google Finance

Don’t look now, but Apple’s stock price (NASDAQ:AAPL) is currently up +6.31 (2.57%) on news that the tech company has posted record profits for the 3rd quarter, along with record breaking iPhone sales.

This is Apples first full quarter selling the iPad and it has posted a record profit of $3.35 billion on record revenues of $15.7 billion – this is up frm the $1.8 billion and $9.73 billion from the same time last year.

iPad has exploded onto the scene

Apple sold 3.27 million iPads, nearly matching the 3.47 million Macs sold — and Mac sales were up 33 percent from a year ago to set a new quarterly record. Yeah, damn. iPhone sales — including the first few weeks of the iPhone 4 — were up 61 percent from a year ago to 8.4 million, and the iPod continued its slow decline, down eight percent to 9.41 million units sold.

Here’s a chart of Apple’s stock price throughout today as the company announced their 3rd quarter numbers:

[source: Engadget, Google Finance]

Looking at the chart for Apple shares this past reminds me of a roller coaster that I just rode at Hershey Park in PA. Massive ups and downs – sharp declines followed be even sharper inclines. There is no doubt that Apple shares have had a tumultuous week.

Even so, Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed the week out down only 3.74% which is not much off the mark of the entire NASDAQ which closed down 3.11%.

Apple had a lot of criticism flying in its face this week over the iPhone 4 antenna and signal strength issues. It got so bad at one point that the Senator from New York, Chuck Schumer, chimed in with his own criticisms of how Apple and Steve Jobs were responding to the issue.

Read Chuck Schumer’s letter to Steve Jobs here.

I expect Apple shares to rebound this coming week due to a favorable press conference that Steve Jobs had today with the press. During the press conference, Mr. Jobs discussed the iPhone 4 antenna issues, admitted there were problems, and offered solutions to iPhone 4 customers. Ultimately, he let customers know that Apple is going to do everything they can to ensure that their customer base is 100% satisfied with the iPhone 4. And this message of clarity, direction, and leadership from Steve Jobs will probably allow Apple shares to shed some of the jitters it experienced this past week.

Here is what some analysts have to say right now about Apple shares:

Analysts try and prepare investors for the fallout from today’s call.

Analysts feedback via Business Insider.

NTP Corporation, which is best known for the patents it holds on wireless email technology, was most recently in the news for receiving a settlement from RIM (maker of Blackberry), in a court case claiming that Blackberry devices violated their patents.

NTP now has their sites set on a multiple other mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple Inc., Google Inc., HTC Corp., LG Electronics Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Motorola Inc.

Again, NTP Corp. is claiming that all of the mobile phone makers are in direct violation of patents that NTP owns regarding wireless email and other wireless technology.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares are holding steady as this news is breaking.

Apple shares are currently trading +1.32 (0.51%) at 259.41.

Apparently, NTP gained some confidence from the RIM settlement case and is now turning their sites on all major mobile phone makers claiming patent violations.

June has been quite a month for Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL). From the iPhone 4 pre order frenzy to the official release date of the iPhone 4, and now rumors about the Verizon iPhone coming in January 2011, June has turned out to be a headline month indeed for Apple.

However, despite the major headlines and record breaking iPhone 4 pre orders and sales, Apple’s stock price is down over 2% for the month June.

The stock market has responded favorably to the iPhone 4 release and other moves made by Apple. And now with the news that the iPhone will be coming to Verizon, Apple could quite possible double their iPhone sales.

It is interesting that even though Apple has had a banner month as far as products are concerned, their stock price is still down over 2% for the month of June.

Is it possible that anything iPhone related will impress Wall Street until the iPhone is available on other carriers besides AT&T? Or has Apple stock prices already accounted for the iPhone 4 future sales and the Verizon deal?

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Shares up; 600,000 iPhone 4 Pre Orders

Apple shares are up sharply today as a result of better than expected iPhone 4 pre order figures.

Despite that fact that the NASDAQ is down currently .02%, Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL)  having been roaring ahead due to their strong iPhone 4 pre order figures. Apple is reporting that despite the AT&T and Apple online store setbacks, over 600,000 iPhone 4’s were sold. And let me add that 100% of these were the black iPhone 4’s as there were no white iPhone 4’s available.

Apple shares are currently trading at +7.41 (2.85%), at a price of 267.10.

iPhone 4 pre orders were a bit a fiasco for many customers. Both the AT&T and Apple store site were crashing throughout the day due to unplanned spikes in traffic. AT&T data centers were so overwhelmed that reports of iPhone 4 orders were being taken by AT&T reps with pen and paper. And the issue with customers not being able to order the white version of the iPhone 4 made the ordering process stressful for many iPhone 4 customers.

However, despite the major technical and logistical set backs yesterday, Apple was still able to amaze investors with their volume of sales of the new iPhone 4.

The white iPhone 4 is expected to be released by August 2010.

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Shares Up Slightly on iPhone 4 Pre Order Day

Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) are up only slightly on the the day that Apple releases the new iPhone 4 for pre orders.

If we were measuring the success of the pre order iPhone 4 launch by web traffic, then I’d say that Apple was successful. The excitement and anticipation building around the iPhone 4 pre order launch was unprecedented, and once the iPhone 4 did launch earlier this morning, both the AT&T and the Apple website’s have been struggling to stay online due to massive traffic spikes.

Now if we were measuring the success of the iPhone 4 launch based on the Apple share prices on the NASDAQ, then we’d be talking about a totally different thing here.

Apple shares are only up slightly at +4.64 (1.82%), trading at 258.92 (at the time of this writing). That is trending below the overall NASDAQ market that is currently up 2.30% at 2,295.55.

The market does not seem overly impressed with the new iPhone 4, at least at this point in the game. The pre order was scheduled today but that was about it. The iPhone 4 release date is scheduled for June 24th – so we’ll see how Apple stocks perform from there.

NASDAQ:AAPL – iPhone 4 Pre Order Pushing Apple Shares Higher

Apple shares up on the NASDAQ with the iPhone 4 pre order date coming up tomorrow.

Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) are currently trading up +4.72 (1.86%) at 258.40 as tomorrow is the day that Apple releases the iPhone 4 for pre ordering. You can pre order the iPhone 4 from several locations tomorrow as Apple is preparing itself for a massive wave of demand. Sources state that Apple plans on selling approximately 3 million iPhone 4 devices per month.

Here is a list of the places that I know of for pre ordering the iPhone 4 tomorrow:

1. The online Apple Store
2. Best Buy
3. Radio Shack
4. Wal Mart
5. And of course AT&T

Factors affecting Apple share prices:

June 24th – Official iPhone 4 release date

Some other factors that could be affecting Apple share prices right now is the June 24th release date of the iPhone 4. On June 24th, stores throughout the United States will open their doors to customers who can then purchase the iPhone 4 from the shelves.

FTC investigation launched

Apple is finding itself under investigation from the FTC for certain rule changes made in its App Store. Some of these rules Apple is implementing prohibits certain developer tools as well as blocking mobile ad networks from accessing applications.

NASDAQ

On the day that Apple releases the iPad internationally, Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) start the day out strong on the NASDAQ. As of now (10:30am EST), Apple shares are up +4.51 (1.78%), currently trading at 257.98.

When the NASDAQ opened this morning, Apple shares took an initial jump upward on the news of long lines, and crazed iPad fans waiting all night to get their hands on Apple’s “magical” iPad.

Here’s a graph showing Apple shares jumping up as the NASDAQ opened this morning:

Supplies of iPad could impact share prices

As Apple is already experiencing here in the United States, high demand and inadequate supplies of the iPad are causing potential sales targets to be missed. And by looks of some video and images being captured of iPad fans waiting to get their iPad, it doesn’t look like the international demand for the iPad device is going to be any less than it is here in the US.

Potential 4th generation iPhone announcement coming

Coming up next month, on June 7th at the WWDC2010, it is widely expected that we’ll here Steve Jobs announce the new, 4th generation iPhone during his keynote speak.

With the iPad launching internationally, and the release of the next generation iPhone, Apple shares could climb above 400 points by the end of summer.

What do you think?

Do you think we’ll see Apple shares break 400 by the end of this summer?

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Shares Down in Pre-Market

Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed up last week +4.56 (1.92%) at 242.32. The week ending Friday was a bit of a tough week for Apple stock prices as they closed down for the week at -11.5 points or -4.53%:

iPad Sales are booming, iPad international release date

As the iPad sales are booming, Apple is finding itself short handed in meeting the supply side of the iPad. Customers coming into Apple retail stores are, in a lot of cases, being required to add their names to a waiting list upon which they will receive a phone call once their iPad arrives. The same is true with the iPad 3G.

The International release of the iPad is this Friday, May 28th. Apple is going to be challenged, however, in meeting the international demand for the iPad. And I can imagine these demand issues having a negative impact on Apple share prices.

iPhone 4G Announcement expected June 7th

Apple is expected to announce their next generation iPhone, the iPhone 4G, next month on June 7th at the WWDC2010 in San Francisco.

My concern with the announcement is that the public might be thinking the iPhone 4G refers to a 4G mobile web browsing speed. But in fact, iPhone 4G is referring to the fourth generation iPhone.

So the mobile web browsing speed isn’t any faster than the current 3G speed from the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Again, my concern is that the marketing message of an iPhone 4G could have a negative impact on Apple share prices.

As we approach the market’s close for this week, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares are down nearly 6% or -14.78 points. Apple stock prices had a good jump early Tuesday morning, but then headed down throughout the rest of the week and Apple shares were not able to recover.

Apple Struggles with iPad Supply

According to Apple Insider, calls to 50 Apple retail stores throughout the US revealed that the iPad 3G remains completely sold out, even though we are now weeks after it’s launch. Apple stock analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray said his team contacted representatives at 50 Apple retail stores and found that 74 percent of them were sold out of all models of the iPad, with the Wi-Fi model available in 26 percent of stores, and the 3G version sold out.

The backlash of limited iPad and iPad 3G supply

One of the ways Apple is dealing with the iPad shortage is by offering customers the option to be placed on a “Notify Me” waiting list, and the Apple retail store would then hold that customer’s iPad for 24 hours after it arrived.

One Apple store representative told Munster that customers who enlist in the in-store reservation system typically wait 4 to 7 days to receive an iPad. That’s better than the 7 to 10 day wait found via Apple’s online store.

Regardless of the time a customer has to wait to get their iPad, the problem with Apple’s iPad supply problem might actually start affecting Apple share prices. Limited supply of iPads and iPad 3G’s could affect the sales projections that investors were anticipating, and in turn affect the sales forecast.

Apple representatives admit they were caught off guard by the demand for the iPad devices. And because of the iPad supply problems, Apple had to actually delay the international release of the iPad.

iPad International Release Date 5/28

So we are now about 7 days away from the international release date for the iPad and iPad 3G. And if things go anything close to what we’ve seen here in the US, then Apple’s supply issues – and perhaps at some point Apple’s stock prices – could start having a negative impact on Apple’s ability to expand their product.

But then again, we are talking about Apple here, so all of this “negative” talk could be way off base.

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Shares Continue Slide with Tech Stocks

Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) continue to lose steam today as the overall tech sector is down. Apple shares are currently off -1.64%, down about 4.13 points at 248.23 per share. The NASDAQ index is off -0.78% at 2,299.30.

Despite Apple shares being down over 1.6% today, as I wrote yesterday Apple’s stock price is up over 105% for the trailing 12 months.

Apple (AAPL) chart for today so far:

As you can see, Apple shares started off with a jump as the markets opened. But then, almost immediately, Apple shares took a dramatic nose dive and have been struggling to get back those initial gains.

Some of the concerns that are suppressing not only Apple shares but the market as a whole are the European economic struggles. Despite a massive bailout plan by the European government, the European economy shrugged off that bailout and continues in a downward spiral, dragging the US markets with it.

Apple (AAPL) Analysts Still Calling for “Outperform”

• Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes is “excited” about AAPL because of the iPad. Channel checks continue to indicate very strong sales and corporations are piloting the device at a surprising pace. He believes that his estimate of 1.5 million iPad units for the June quarter will likely be conservative by about 1 million units (that’s a lot of upside). Reitzes reiterates his Overweight rating and $315 price-target.
• Toni Sacconaghi at Bernstein Research believes European currency provides a risk to revenue forecasts for hardware companies. In addition, he continues to believe that 2010 will be a strong year (relatively speaking) and that PC related names are inexpensive at current levels. Toni reiterates his Outperform rating on AAPL and price-target of $300.

[resource:  BusinessInsider.com]

Yes, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock prices have been a bit shaky over the past couple of week, and clearly they aren’t doing much better today (see graph):

But what about stepping back a bit and taking a broader look at Apple share prices – like say the last 12 months?

If you look at the growth of Apple stock prices over the past 12 months – since the beginning of May 2009, Apple shares are up over 105%.

That’s right – over 105%

So even though Apple shares have had a bit of a rough ride, so really has the entire market and tech sector. Sometimes not even Apple is exempt from the fluctuations in the stock market.

Apple’s Product Release Magic

If I had to take a guess, actually I think history would prove this, then I would say that Apple’s explosive stock price has everything to do with the fact that Apple knows how to create the perfect product launch.

Apple doesn’t care that the Apple fan boy club is not the majority in the computer tech and gadget world – in fact, Apple might prefer this to be the case.

Because with only a select group of fans, Apple is now able to launch just about any product it desires, and people will buy the product simply because Apple launched it!

But looking over the past year with product announcements like the iPhone 3GS and the infamous iPad, Apple stock prices are very much appreciating the aggressive launching of new products from Apple.

Charts via DailyFinance.com

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Stock Price Up Nearly 8% For The Week

Apple shares started the week out with a bang when Apple stock prices jumped nearly 7% on Tuesday morning, despite having a rough day on Monday. For the week ending today, Friday May 14th, Apple stock prices are about to end the week up nearly 8% (currently at 7.61% at the time of this writing).

Other Apple News:

PCWorld.com reports that The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate complaints by Apple that Eastman Kodak violated its patents related to digital imaging devices and software, the latest dispute in a long-standing patent skirmish between the two companies.

Apple filed a so-called section 337 complaint against Kodak on April 15, alleging that the company had violated its patents related to digital imaging devices and associated software. In the complaint, Apple asked the USITC to bar Kodak from importing products containing the technology into the U.S.

MercuryNews.com reports that Apple CEO Steve Jobs personally asked tech website Gizmodo to return that rogue iPhone prototype, Bloomberg News is reporting today. A judge in San Mateo County today unsealed a search warrant affidavit in the case of the device, which found its way from a Redwood City bar to posts on tech-toy website Gizmodo.

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Stock Up, China Unicom Subsidizing iPhone 3G

Executives of wireless carrier China Unicom – CHU2.05, +0.08, +0.67 – have outlined plans to subsidize the purchase of iPhones and other 3G handsets. Their comments were made at China Unicom’s annual shareholder meeting, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Prior to Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) officially launching the popular iPhone in the China market, there was already a black market for the iPhone that was thriving. The people of China were tired of waiting for the government to tell them when they can purchase the iPhone, so a black market was formed, and the demand was being met.

But Apple officially launched the iPhone in China and experienced explosive sales upon that initial launch. Apple executives had this to say about launching the iPhone in the China market:

If you look at greater China which we define as mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the iPhone units were up year-over-year over 9 times. We added another 800 points of distribution in China. The revenue, we have never released this number before but I will do this in this particular case, through the first half of the fiscal year that we just completed for the six month period our revenue from greater China was almost $1.3 billion and this is up over 200% year-over-year. So we are well pleased with how the company is positioned to take advantage of the growth in greater China.

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple shares up on China Unicom news

Now whether or not we can attribute Apple share prices to the China Unicom announcement of subsidizing iPhone purchases is up for debate because the NASDAQ as a whole is up as well (NASDAQ – up 1.94% – 2,421.41).

But Apple shares are definitely on the upward swing trading currently at 262.15, up +5.63 (2.19%).

What do you think?

Do you think that Apple shares are up because of the news from China Unicom, or are Apple shares simply following the overall NASDAQ index?

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Stock Prices Jump 7% In Early Trading

Whatever the drag was on the stock markets last week seems to have subsided over the weekend. Call if fear, bad news, or whatever… investors saw the dramatic declines as a buying opportunity across all of the indexes.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares are definitely not exempt from this market rebound. Already in early morning trading Apple stock prices are up 7%, +16.76 (7.11%), trading right now at 252.71 and climbing toward the positive.

The NASDAQ is trending in the same direction as the tech index is up 4.12% at 2,359.01 as of the time of this writing.

Future Apple announcements and the impact on Apple stock prices

Coming up next month Apple is expected to announce a newly designed, and highly optimized iPhone 4G – running off the new iPhone OS 4 platform. This announcement has been widely expected to occur at the WWDC 2010 that will start in San Francisco on June 7th. Most people who follow the iPhone are anticipating that the WWDC 2010 will open with Steve Jobs making another grand announcement – and this time it will be for the iPhone 4G.

Apple already announced that the AT&T exclusive clause has been extended for another 6 months. Apple extending the AT&T exclusive clause was locked in when AT&T offered Apple half price on their iPad 3G data plans in exchange for an extension on the exclusive clause.

What other factors do you see that are currently affecting Apple stock prices (NASDAQ:AAPL)?

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Shares Continue Crash, Stock Down Another 4%

Taking a glance at Apple stock prices (NASDAQ:AAPL) today and again I see the shares crashing from their all time highs just a week ago.  The NASDAQ is continuing its downward spiral, and in turn bringing Apple shares with it as the tech sector leads the downward march of the stock market today.

So what’s causing Apple shares to continue to decline even amidst booming iPad sales and outlooks?

One one hand, the Apple stock dropped alongside the NASDAQ market.  They are pretty much in line with the market in general, meaning they are staying stable, according to Pradeep Kolla.

In addition Apple has everything going on for it.  They have a strong position, great market share, consumers can’t get enough of their products. They are innovative, trailblazers, and their iPhone continues to grow in popularity. Heck – they even sold 1 million iPads in less than a month for anywhere between $499 and $829 a whack (not to mention the 1.5 million eBooks that were sold from their app store because of the new purchases.)

On the other hand, many people like to proceed with caution when dealing with tech stock.  People are fickle and if another company pops up and starts to deliver the desired products instead of Apple, people could flock to the new company and you will see a decline.

Yesterday’s market plunge has brought volatility back into the market. But quality stocks seem to have recovered some perceived value levels. For Apple Inc. shares, many institutional investors and growth fund managers will be looking to accumulate the stock between $220 and $240 because if AAPL earns $12 per share (EPS) this year (the consensus estimate is for $13 EPS), a price of $230 would give it a sub-20 forward P/E multiple.

According to ONN.tv writers, they are looking at selling this relatively high May implied volatility of 45% and getting paid for the risk of being bullish on AAPL with 14 days until May options expiration. A momentum sell-off this morning that sends AAPL below $240 could make this bull put spread trade for much more than $2.50, so timing the trade well could pay off even more.

Resources:

ONN.tv

CNMNewsNetwork.com

Dow Jones Industrial Average, Stock Market Plunges Today

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) took a serious hit today plunging 1000 points before bouncing back. I just wrote about how Apple stock plunged today right along with the rest of the NASDAQ.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) plunged more than 9%, and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) both were down more than 6% in intraday trading, according to SchaeffersResearch.com.

What’s more, the SPX even briefly dropped below its 200-day moving average, a long-term trendline that was widely considered a bull/bear market demarcation back in March 2009. Some post-plunge speculation indicates that a bad “tick” for Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), which placed the stock’s session low near $39.37 per share, may have sparked the worst of the day’s selling pressure. At last check, the DJIA was off 2.97% at 10,545, the SPX was down 2.94% at 1,130.82, and the COMP had lost 2.86% to trade at 2,334.91.

According to the NYTimes.com,The market decline on Thursday turned into a freefall, with major indexes tumbling as much as 8 percent in afternoon trading. The euro declined more than 2 percent. In afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 8.8 percent, or 996 points, at one point. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was down 90 points or 7.73 percent, and the Nasdaq was down 175 points, or 7.2 percent.

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Stock Prices Plunge With NASDAQ

The overall markets today have taken a beating and have plunged nearly 5% throughout the trading day. The NASDAQ is currently down 4.54% at 2,293.26, the DOW is down -4.15% at 10,416.71.

So right along with the NASDAQ plunging, Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) are taking their share of the beating as well despite strong iPad sales on both the WiFi version and the new iPad 3G.

Apple shares are currently down almost 5% as well (-4.55%) trading at $243.74 which is a 12 point decrease for the day.

Jim Cramer says “buy, buy, buy!”

The illustrious stock commentator Jim Cramer of Madd Money believes that Apple is a “Buy, Buy, Buy!”

I’ve asked the question before, do you think that Apple shares are heading to $400?

In my opinion, I think that $400 within the next 12 months is easily achievable for Apple. After all, we just had the launch of the iPad WiFi and the iPad 3G here in the United States. But on May 10th (Monday) the iPad will launch to the rest of the world.

Also we have potential upcoming announcements of the new iPhone 4G, and more than likely announcements of the iPhone being sold on other carriers such as Verizon.

And don’t forget about iAd – Apple’s mobile advertising platform.  It is believed by some analysts that iAd revenue could potentially reach an annual run-rate of $800 million in revenue by the end of fiscal 2010.

So I think that Jim Cramer is looking at it this way – the stock is down along with the rest of the market. And with the share prices dropping below $250, Apple is a certain buy for long term investors.

What do you think?

Do you see Apple as a buy at the current price of below $250?

Do you think Apple will climb to as high as $400 within the next 12 months?

NASDAQ:AAPL – Apple Shares Continue Downward Slide

Apple shares (NASDAQ:AAPL) continue their downward spiral again today as they are currently off -2.59 (-1.00%) at 256.09. However, since last weeks recent high of $267, Apple stock prices are down 6%.

The NASDAQ is currently off by -0.67 at 2408.09.

Despite strong sales numbers from the newly released iPad 3G, and from even stronger numbers from the initial iPad Wi-Fi, Apple’s stock price has seemingly done nothing but decline.

Obviously, investors are looking forward and wondering what Apple could possibly bring to the table as far as product design goes.

Some of the future potential catalysts for Apple stock prices include the monthly NPD data (Mac / iPod business); international release of the iPad next week (May 10); and the launch of the next generation iPhone (likely June 7) as well as the CDMA / Verizon version rumored later this year.

The iPhone 4G, and the Verizon deal, are both highly speculative assumptions at the moment. As it is with Apple, very little forward looking news releases ever come directly from the company.

However, it is very likely that iPad sales will continue robust into the distant future as Apple gets ready to open up International sales of the iPad and iPad 3G to international customers.

The iPhone 4G announcement – and possibly even a Verizon announcement – might come on June 7th during Apple’s annual WWDC 2010 conference.

NASDAQ:AAPL – Is Apple Stock The Driving Force of the NASDAQ?

Even though Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed down yesterday nearly 3% (2.88% @ $258.68), so did the entire NASDAQ index (NASDAQ closed down -2.98% @ $2,424.25). I wrote yesterday about the question of whether or not Apple is immune to NASDAQ fluctuations. I actually stated it as as the NASDAQ goes so goes Apple.

There were a lot of interesting comments in that post, some nice and others… well… but anyway, the overall consensus might actually be that I was looking at the question entirely backwards.

Perhaps the question isn’t is Apple subject to the NASDAQ fluctuations, instead the correct question may be is the NASDAQ subject to Apple share fluctuations?

Some people believe that Apple shares are the driving force behind the NASDAQ. This makes sense to me from the standpoint that so many other companies on the NASDAQ rely on Apple as a source of business. So if Apple shares are declining or losing momentum, wouldn’t it make sense that all of the companies that rely on Apple go with them?

One comment brought up from yesterday’s article was that Apple shares may have been down 3% due to the news that Apple may be investigated for anit-trust laws regarding their licensing agreement with Iphone App developers.

From that perspective, perhaps its true that the NASDAQ is more subject to the fluctuations of Apple, rather than Apple being subject to the NASDAQ.

What do you think?

Is it more accurate to say that as Apple goes, so goes the NASDAQ?

NASDAQ:AAPL – As The Market Goes, So Goes Apple Shares

Some people might argue with me that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock prices are immune to fluctuations on the overall market (NASDAQ). This argument stems from the  fact that Apple stock prices have recently hit all time highs, and also that Apple (Steve Jobs) has promised more amazing product releases – even beyond the iPad.

However, today will prove this assumption – that Apple stock prices are exempt from market fluctuations – false.

All of the major indexes are down currently – here’s where they’re at:

Notice the bottom line is Apple (AAPL) – also down 3%.

So as you can see, and for those of you who believe that Apple stock prices are immune to the market, your theory just doesn’t hold.

Upcoming Apple News

Some of the more prominent events coming up for Apple are:

1. WWDC2010 (Apple’s developers conference) on June 7th
2. Rumors that iPhone 4G will be announced at WWDC
3. Also rumors that Apple will expand iPhone to other mobile phone carriers like Verizon.

Although the iPhone and mobile phone carrier expansion rumors are just that – rumors, it does seem logical especially since Steve Jobs has been quotes as saying that Apple has some amazing product launches coming in the near future – beyond just the iPad.

So what do you think?

Do you think that Apple stock prices are immune from overall market fluctuations?