“Shares of Apple Computer Inc., which employs hundreds at a plant in Elk Grove, climbed more than 7 percent in heavy trading Friday for no apparent reason. Published reports said the reappearance of an Internet rumor that Apple and Sony Corp. would merge, combining Apple’s iPod portable music player with Sony’s portable devices, could be fueling the binge. Other speculation about the cause involved Apple’s shares breaking through the $25 level on Thursday, a price point where the stock has run into market resistance in the past,” The Sacramento Business Journal reports.
In mid-afternoon trading, Cupertino-based Apple was up $1.79, or 7.1 percent, at $26.95 on volume of more than 21 million shares, close to four times the typical trading. Nasdaq Apple Computer, Inc. quote here.
In another report, Sony isn’t even mentioned: “shares of Apple rallied… after a report in USA Today said the company’s new iPod mini digital music player has been a runaway success. The paper said the mini iPod is virtually sold-out, with nearly 100,000 snapped up since its launch two weeks ago,” Tomi Kilgore reports for CBS.MarketWatch.com.
MacDailyNews Take: And here we thought it might be yesterday’s “FedEx switching to Mac due to Windows viruses” rumor. Much speculation (in more ways than one) is currently going on, let’s wait and see…
I believe this is due to recent broker “buy” recommendations as well as strong sales of the iPod mini. Rumors about Sony are just rumors and folks it ain’t gonna happen. The biggest reason is because Martha Stewart is guilty! No, not really. Breaking through the $25 barrier is also a milestone for the stock.
Martha’s not guilty. I’m sure her appeal is filed already. Sony is a mess. Stay away from Apple, please. Go, Apple!
Apple would have been bought by now except for one thing – Steve Jobs practically is Apple at this point and Steve can’t be bought. Steve would have to be done with Apple for this to happen and there’s no indication of that.
The only way I can see this happening is if Steve actually became head of a merged Sony/Apple, and had free rein to do whatever he wanted. But how could that happen?
Jobs give up control to SONY???
I don’t think so…
This just in — Sony/Apple merger rumors bolstered by the recent release of “Turning Japanese” by the Vapors on the iTunes Music Store as part of the Steve Jobs Celebrity Playlist … =^P
Holy shit you’d think Apple stock would be far more volatile if trading surged or declined on internet rumors alone, as suggested here.
Apple rumors are as constant as Thurrott being a fuckstick and Windows inferiority.
SONY? God I hope not, I’ve been boycotting Sony products the last couple years due to the utter miserable quality of the products Ive bought from them (aka stuff keeps breaking). 2 car stereos, playstation2, a bunch of lcd monitors at work. I’ll go back to windows if sony gets involved.
These reports just show what a bunch of clueless wankers stockbrokers are. Sony/Apple rumor? Hello? We going retro ’90s style here? I had more credibility coming out of my arse last time I took a dump! Considering how the stock has always performed miserably every time anything positive is announced one has to ask whether we’re all going to be wake up tomorrow to discover that the sun’s gone nova or something (ok, so we wouldn’t actually be able to wake up, but you know what i mean).
so if the rumors of a buyout aren�t true, then the stock will tank next week….
No, no, no. Here’s the deal:
Steve is going to become the CEO of Disney. With him gone, Sony will buy Apple and ship the PlayStation 3 as a rebranded Power Mac G5 with Virtual GameStation this June.
My unimpeachable source is my father’s cousin’s college-roomate’s best-friend who overheard two guys talking in a leather bar in Cupertino. You can’t get better than that!
I think Micheal Eisner is buying AAPL in an effort to force Steve and Pixar back to the negotiating table.
One things for sure, it’s not Martha Stewart behind it
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Quoth Peter:
‘My unimpeachable source is my father’s cousin’s college-roomate’s best-friend who overheard two guys talking in a leather bar in Cupertino. You can’t get better than that!’
Sure you can. You see, my sister’s dog’s manicurist’s shrink says he may or may not have overheard two window-washers having a conversation about a guy who almost qualified for his MCSE back in 1995, who may have said (the wind was high, the traffic was loud) that ‘Sony Apple brmrrmt phhth fft’. Proof positive.
And just to show how much better my source is, I don’t even have a sister.
Jay, Jay, Jay.
a) You can’t rely on manicurists because they breathe those fumes.
b) Shrinks only tell you what you want to hear.
Please, don’t waste our time with such prattle.
:^)