Following rumors that Apple CEO Steve Jobs handed over his traditional Macworld Expo & Conference keynote to Phil Schiller because his health is failing, CNBC's Jim Goldman claimed that the information is flat-out wrong, and that the reasoning behind Apple's pull-out is exactly what the company claims it to be.
The rumor Gizmodo reported claimed that Mr. Jobs was not delivering the keynote presentation at Macworld Expo in January because of "rapidly declining health," and that Apple was strategically controlling the release of information instead of "letting the hype destroy Apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring."
Mr. Goldman, however, said that Apple gave him a different story. "I was told this morning (Tuesday) that nothing has changed since then. The same reasons apply today that applied two weeks ago," he said. "I was told two weeks ago by sources inside Apple that the decision had nothing to do with Jobs' health. I got the same message today. Period."
Even if the rumor proves to be false, the end effect today was the same: Apple's stock dipped after the news hit the Internet. The company's stock was as high as US$88.05 earlier in the day, but dropped down to close at $86.29, and continued its slow decline in after hours trading.
Apple is currently trading at $86.24, down 0.05 (0.06%).