Apple (AAPL) is sitting on a $15 billion cash hoard. What should they do with it?
Appleâs newest store â its second-largest in the United States â is opening Friday night in Manhattanâs trendy Meatpacking District, and Apple enthusiasts are already gawking at what Gothamist.com has dubbed âthe shiny, new tech haven.â From the looks of the photos Gothamist posted after Thursdayâs media sneak peak, showing a three-story, all-glass, spiral staircase, Apple spent a pretty penny on it.
But whatever the cost, rest assured itâs nothing compared to the huge stash the company is sitting on. In his âBig Techâ column on Friday, Fortuneâs John Fortt points out that Apple has about $15.4 billion in the bank. Aside from paying for that staircase, what will the company do with it? Apple, which prides itself on its in-house creativity, has never been one for making large acquisitions. But, Mr. Fortt writes, âif the money just sits there, it smacks of waste.â
Apple is already among the most cash-rich of the tech companies in the Fortune 500. And if it sells enough computers, iPods and iPhones this holiday shopping season, Apple could easily rake in another billion or so.
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/apple-rich-with-cash-and-possibilities/