Tim Cook, Luca Maestri Sued For Alleged Securities Fraud

· Andrew Orr · Link

Tim cook

The City of Roseville employee’s retirement fund is suing Apple over alleged securities fraud. Tim Cook and Luca Maestri are listed as defendants.

Specifically, the lawsuit claims that Apple was not initially forthcoming about a drop in demand for the iPhone due to poor sales in China and the 2018 battery replacement program, both of which contributed to lower than expected iPhone sales in the first fiscal quarter of 2019.

In 2023 Apple Wants to Have Zero Net Cash

· Andrew Orr · Link

Apple has US$245 of gross cash and other things like long-term securities. It has US$115 billion in long-term debt. This makes its net cash position US$130 billion, and Apple CFO Luca Maestri has said eventually the company wants to have a net cash neutral position. Tiernan Ray writes about issues that may arise because of this.

Come 2023, will investors balk at an Apple suddenly less generous with its capital returns? And if Apple puts off that day as much as possible, plodding along with no significant increase in capital returns, will it lose the support of those fickle buyers hungry for shares with meaningful dividend buyback increases every year?

What Apple's Stock Buyback Plan Should Tell You about the Future

· Bryan Chaffin · The Back Page

Apple with a big pile of money

Announced during the company’s March quarter results, Apple described an aggressive plan for what is the single largest share buyback plan in history, and here’s what Bryan Chaffin thinks that means.

Share Buybacks and Apple's Future, Same Old Facebook, Google Duplex - ACM 461

· Bryan Chaffin · Apple Context Machine Podcast

Apple Context Machine Logo

Warning, this one went long: Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss what Apple’s share buybacks say about Apple’s future. They also weigh WhatsApp’s founder leaving Facebook, and what it says about Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. They go over when diving into Google Duplex, a demonstration that was as awesome as it was devoid of real value.

The Myth of the Failing iPhone X and Other Earnings Report Notes - ACM 460

· Bryan Chaffin · Apple Context Machine Podcast

Apple Context Machine Logo

Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss the myth of the failing iPhone X, where that myth comes from, how it’s sustained, and how Apple’s own data says otherwise. They also talk about how Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri tried to dispel those reports during Apple’s quarterly conference call with analysts. They also look at the indicators that HomePod, on the other hand, isn’t doing well, and Tim Cook’s continued insistence on focusing on sound quality when we really want a capable home assistant. They cap the show with some perspective on just how much money Apple is paying out to shareholders.