“Apple’s stock price cut in half? A dark-horse candidate elected as U.S. president? A booming Australia suddenly falling into a recession?” Robert Holmes reports for The Street. “As unlikely as those events may be, they’re among the 10 most ‘Outrageous Predictions’ for 2012 made by Europe’s Saxo Bank. Saxo Bank isn’t completely serious with its far-out calls for 2012. Steen Jakobsen, the bank’s chief economist, acknowledges that Saxo’s annual list of outrageous predictions always has a negative bias to help encourage investors to think outside the box and be on guard for unpleasant surprises. The strategy team said it views the bank’s outrageous predictions as a way of stress-testing a portfolio.”
Holmes reports, “‘Going into 2012, Apple will find itself faced with multiple competitors such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft/Nokia, and Samsung across its most innovative products, the iPhone and iPad,’ Saxo Bank’s strategists write. ‘Apple will be unable to maintain its market share of 55 percent (three times as much as Android) and 66 percent on the iOS and iPad.’ As crazy as that prediction sounds, investors should keep in mind that Apple’s share price was slashed in half in 2008, as the stock fell from nearly $200 a share to below $100 during the financial crisis. If competition hits a fever pitch as Saxo Bank predicts, Apple’s profit margins could be crushed and future profit growth estimates would have to be ratcheted back.”
“Much like the way Texas billionaire Ross Perot feasted on the disgust Americans had with U.S. politics in 1992 to land nearly 19 percent of the popular vote, Saxo Bank strategists predict that a new political order will be born after a third-party candidate wins the presidency in November 2012 by taking 38 percent of the popular vote,” Holmes reports. “‘Going into the election in 2012, the incumbent Democrats are in ideological disarray and will get the blame for continued economic malaise and the favor-the-rich Republicans will never win the popular vote with the U.S. rich/poor gap at a record width and social tension rising,’ the strategists write. ‘In short, conditions for a third party candidate have never been riper. Someone smart enough to sense this and with a strong program for real change throws his hat in the ring early in 2012.'”
Eight more predictions in the full article here.
“Her” hat in the ring:
President Sarah Palin.
iCal me.
Michele Bachmann beats Palin any day, especially when she has red hair.
What a MILF. Enough to make any Democrat vote Republican, grrrrrr
Really?
Are the women that fugly where you live?
Bachmann’s voice could offset a whole bottle of viagra. Her looks aren’t so much, either.
The day Sarah ‘I can see Russia from my home’ Palin or Michelle ‘I’m like John Wayne from Waterloo, Iowa’ (the serial killer not the actor) Bachmann becomes President, that very day the earth is doomed. If the USA wants to go belly up and take the rest of the world with it, go ahead… vote for these… intellectual challenged brain jugglers with cerebrovascular aplasia living in the past.
Yes, GeekJen, you are correct. We are much better off with Barack “I have been to all 57 states” Obama.
57 states – proof that Obama is not an American.
If she runs I’m going to take my money out of AAPL and put it into into Rubbermaid stock. Why, you ask? Well, Rubbermaid owns Sanford Manufacturing which owns the Sharpie brand.
A 4 year Palin presidency is a lot of crib notes.
“Obama out of office.”
That has such a nice ring to it!
To be replaced by a Republican nut job.
Ya right
I really hope they’re right about Obama.
But with apple… Ehhhh not so much.
Fine, boot Obama. But replace him with any of that other gang of dolts? I don’t think so.
:-Q*****
I believe Obama will be reelected, not saying I support him. I believe Apple stock will rise to above $600.
Obama’s likely to take California and New York, and most of the traditional Democratic leaning states. That’s most of the battle right there.
In 2008 he took a number of traditionally Republican states. Shall see how that goes this time.
if Saxo want to sell aapl at $200 next year, I’ll buy some.
are they brave enough to sell options now?
Did this Eurpopean bank predict that the EU would collapse, along with all European banks, and the country would return to the Dark Ages, but on the plus side, everyone would be eligible for 4 month vacations on the Mediterranean.
I predict Obama will be cut in half and Apple will be elected President
LOL Sherm awesome
LMAO
A new president won’t take office until 2013, so that tells you something about the quality of these predictions.
But the election happens in 2012. Read beyond the headlines…
“It’s not too late for folks to jump in… Who knows what will happen in the future?” – Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, December 19, 2011
I think they are right. It will be after the stock is split 4 for 1.
Well, I did hear Gary Johnson is going to run on the libertarian party ticket. Could be an interesting election for a third party candidate.
if he runs it means nothing.
If Ron Paul runs 3rd party… Obama is a 2 termer.
he has no prayer on the GOP ticket, but he WILL pull enough support to make a 3 way race impossible to win.
I like *some* of what RP says… the rest, he’s a nutcase.
Put him in charge of our debt, nothing else.
This guy is zany.
The difference is, that apple set earnings records thru the recession, and the shareprice dip was due to unfounded fears driven by stupid downgrades by Huberty and Abramsky.
Did they predict all hell will break loose and the ” middle earth” will return to pre-LOTR days and that we will all be Hobbits?
I think most every American knows that there is no help from either side of the isle. But I do agree, the Repubs have nicer looking candidates…
‘either side of the’ aisle. Unless of course we’re talking about the USA being the Island of Misfit Politicians. They’re all dumb as stumps IMHO. Where did people with actual intelligence head to? Certainly not Washington, DC.
Steen Jakobsen, the bank’s chief economist, acknowledges that Saxo’s annual list of outrageous predictions always has a negative bias to help encourage investors to think outside the box
There’s thinking outside the box, then there’s OUTRIGHT INSANITY. I prefer the former to the latter in all endeavors professional. IOW: Saxo Bank aren’t funny. Saxo Bank aren’t professional. Saxo Bank need to get some self-perspective before their clients kick them to the street. 😛
I strongly believe that Appleis gathering as much cash as possible so that when the next conspiracy brings AAPL shares below $150 a share, they will be able to buy back all the shares and get rid of the stock market. They don’t need the Nasdaq or any other place. They will live on their own minding their own business privately.
Someone call Jesse Ventura!!!!!
I see integration of Apple TV, iCloud, and Siri, – our first electronic candidate for president. As president Siri could easily reach out to all the iPhone’d, iPad’ed, Mac’ed populace. Just think if you could make a Bewoulf cluster of iPhones, iPads, and Macs…
yes, Siri for President!
What the heck , World Leader
Hah! Can’t you just hear her now? “My fellow Americans….”
Although most states appoint electors on a winner-take-all basis based on the popular vote, I doubt that it is even mathematically possible to win an absolute majority of electoral votes (currently 270) with only 38% of the popular vote. If not, then the Twelfth Amendment kicks in…
Bush got reelected. Obama being reelected isn’t impossible, just ill-advised.
Hoax Bank, not Saxo Bank.
Sad to say, but Obamanation will probably be re-elected in November as the only thing more inept than Nobama is the teabagger brigade of Koch-bots that seem to be running the Republican Party these days.
Apple stock is overvalued in light of the deep worldwide recession and Bush Depression we are in currently. You won;t buy shiny new Apple toys if you don’t know where the mortgage money is coming from next month…
Unless something really unusual happens the Democrats will regain the House as America’s voters have seen the teabaggers for what they really are- the crazy, wild-eyed, paranoid, loony wing of Republicandom. John Birchers of the 21st Century. They have had a taste of the tea party and will spit it out rather than stay on the crazy train.
I wish a real 3rd party candidate would run as I really do not wish to choose between a Republican (Obama) and a Teabagger Republican (Romney/Gingrich, etc). A real Democrat would be nice, but alas, the corporate media would not be happy as it would upset their horse race.
I wish everyone a Happy Festivus or whatever flavor of holiday you choose this year.
progressive ahole, you are delusional. Go Screw yourself. Tea Bagger is an absurd thing to call American Patriots. What do you think your post makes you??
“American Patriot” is an absurd thing to call Romney/Gingrich etc. Or Obama, as long as I’m going there.
I assume Karen was talking about people in the Tea Party not candidates.
same thing, both are frisking idiots
The Tea Party has the right values (lower debt mainly) but don’t understand how government works. You HAVE to compromise in government unless you are the only party otherwise the governmental process comes to a halt. Gee, isn’t that what’s happening right now? How about no parties? Maybe a parliamentarian system?
You guys living under a rock deserve to get whatever it is coming. I kinda wonder if you even read any world news except AAPL news. I sold all my AAPL months ago.
The thing that really gets me is that, ok, so a bunch of people use the “boston tea party” thing as a platform for their views, which is great, and I am all for that, but then they pick Palin as someone they respect and represent them and by the way I support the 2nd amendment but also don’t.
Saxo Bank? More like “Wacko Bank”