http://www.nypost.com/seven/07212008/business/apple_a_day_talk_120853.htm
By BRIAN GARRITY and PETER LAURIA
Industry concerns about Steve Jobs' health have not gone away more than a month after the Apple CEO appeared dramatically thinner at the firm's annual developers' conference, fighting what insiders at the time were calling a "bug."
Apple is due to report earnings today, but many investors and analysts remain as interested in news of the condition of the tech titan - who is a survivor of pancreatic cancer - as they are in the numbers themselves.
"Apple's hedge fund investors are very worried," said a Wall Street source who has spoken with some of the company's stakeholders.
After the conference in June, Apple reps blamed Jobs' weight loss on an unspecified illness that required treatment with antibiotics.
Since then, there's been no update on his health, and company officials now are not commenting on it despite repeated requests.
Multiple sources who have met with - and in some cases even dined with - Jobs in the weeks surrounding the introduction of the iPhone 3G on July 11, said they came away troubled by his thin appearance.
Jobs also doubles as a Disney director, and according to a source inside the Mouse House, he attended the company's last board meeting in late June. Though this source wouldn't comment on Jobs' appearance, another source close to Disney, who spoke with executives after the board meeting, said they were remarking on his weight loss.
Apple has a history of dragging its heels when it comes to admitting that Jobs is sick.
His October 2003 cancer diagnosis wasn't disclosed until after the removal of a pancreatic tumor. Recent reports have suggested the company knew about Jobs' condition for nine months prior to the public announcement.
One investor polled by The Post acknowledged to recently selling down his stake by "a few million shares" as a hedge in case any more bad news comes out about Jobs' health.
Andrew Hargreaves, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities said recent trading in shares likely reflects concerns about Jobs - at least partially.
Shares in Apple, which also have been subject to larger economic issues and trading trends around company product announcements, are off 13 percent since mid-May, and down 11 percent since the June conference. Shares fell 3.9 percent to $165.15 on Friday.
Apple is expected to deliver a profit of $1.08 per share on revenue of $7.36 billion, according to First Call estimates. But investors will be closely watching the company's performance for signs of exposure to weakness in the larger economy.
Part of the reason for the concern over Jobs' health - aside from genuine sympathy - is that Apple has no succession plan in place. A good deal of Apple's worth is tied to its leader.
That's why analysts and corporate-governance experts have argued that for a visionary chief executive like Jobs - who drives the development of Apple's hit products - health is a material factor in the company's performance, and something investors should know about ASAP.
By BRIAN GARRITY and PETER LAURIA
Industry concerns about Steve Jobs' health have not gone away more than a month after the Apple CEO appeared dramatically thinner at the firm's annual developers' conference, fighting what insiders at the time were calling a "bug."
Apple is due to report earnings today, but many investors and analysts remain as interested in news of the condition of the tech titan - who is a survivor of pancreatic cancer - as they are in the numbers themselves.
"Apple's hedge fund investors are very worried," said a Wall Street source who has spoken with some of the company's stakeholders.
After the conference in June, Apple reps blamed Jobs' weight loss on an unspecified illness that required treatment with antibiotics.
Since then, there's been no update on his health, and company officials now are not commenting on it despite repeated requests.
Multiple sources who have met with - and in some cases even dined with - Jobs in the weeks surrounding the introduction of the iPhone 3G on July 11, said they came away troubled by his thin appearance.
Jobs also doubles as a Disney director, and according to a source inside the Mouse House, he attended the company's last board meeting in late June. Though this source wouldn't comment on Jobs' appearance, another source close to Disney, who spoke with executives after the board meeting, said they were remarking on his weight loss.
Apple has a history of dragging its heels when it comes to admitting that Jobs is sick.
His October 2003 cancer diagnosis wasn't disclosed until after the removal of a pancreatic tumor. Recent reports have suggested the company knew about Jobs' condition for nine months prior to the public announcement.
One investor polled by The Post acknowledged to recently selling down his stake by "a few million shares" as a hedge in case any more bad news comes out about Jobs' health.
Andrew Hargreaves, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities said recent trading in shares likely reflects concerns about Jobs - at least partially.
Shares in Apple, which also have been subject to larger economic issues and trading trends around company product announcements, are off 13 percent since mid-May, and down 11 percent since the June conference. Shares fell 3.9 percent to $165.15 on Friday.
Apple is expected to deliver a profit of $1.08 per share on revenue of $7.36 billion, according to First Call estimates. But investors will be closely watching the company's performance for signs of exposure to weakness in the larger economy.
Part of the reason for the concern over Jobs' health - aside from genuine sympathy - is that Apple has no succession plan in place. A good deal of Apple's worth is tied to its leader.
That's why analysts and corporate-governance experts have argued that for a visionary chief executive like Jobs - who drives the development of Apple's hit products - health is a material factor in the company's performance, and something investors should know about ASAP.
