Share price DOWN, products STALE, profits still being hoarded instead of properly distributed as dividends... Has the board asked the shareholders if it wants to continue to waste money on this vanity project that will have no benefit to the shareholders? Nokia who were once THE major phone manufacturer was forced to sell its prestige building a few years ago due to falling profits and share price.. will the Apple shareholders be so pleased with the donut-building when their shares are selling at $200, $100, $10? The Board needs a reality check, remember that they are there to represent the shareholders interests and to get some new and genuinely distinctive and attractive products out into the market.
The donut building is a white elephant vanity project that should be culled, unless Apple is trying to reform itself as a property developer.
I hate to tell you, but the Board is not required to ask shareholders for permission and input on how to manage the company. If shareholders don't like the plans, Courts have held that their options are clear: sell the stock, and if they lost money, they can write it off on their taxes.
Apple also is not required to distribute more money through dividends than it thinks is a sound business strategy. Considering the nature of its business and the continuing lawsuit against it, it is pretty smart to hold on to a significant portion of cash. That gives it tremendous power in negotiating with suppliers. I'd also prefer to see it spend some of the money of strategic acquisitions. Further, if Jobs was alive running things, Apple likely wouldn't have given any dividend. People were complaining about it then, but Jobs didn't care.
The reality is Apple is competing for top notch talent that it hopes will spend their entire careers employed by Apple. Shoving them in some drab complex is not the way to do that. Especially considering its competition is Google, that has a very cool headquarters and showers its employees with perks. It is also important to show stewardship to your surrounding community. Henry Ford understood that.
Moreover, people want Apple to both not rush products out (AKA Maps), but also bring new and exciting products out everyday. People can't have it both ways. Apple generally has gone years between new product categories being added. Cook recently said we all can expect new products and services, including new product categories, in the fall through 2014.
Nokia lost its way because it became complacent. I see no evidence Apple has lost its way yet.
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You are so off-base it's laughable. I'm glad you don't make decisions for Apple - you'd bankrupt them in a month.
There is no way the shares would sell for $200, $100 or $10 because of their large cash holdings. Unless, of course, YOU ran the company and gave all their cash away to 'investors', THEN the company would be at $10 a share.
Exactly, if the shares ever trended that low, Apple would buy all the shares, as it is already starting to do with its just announced 50 billion dollar repurchase plan. The cash gives Apple a lot of capabilities.
