Just imagine Apple doing that with everybody. Because they have so huge commercial margins and a huge pile of cash in the bank. They would take the market by storm and increase worldwide market share of the Mac from 5 to 90% in just three years!
1) Announcement of a liberal employee stock purchase plan -- say deduct up to 10% of your salary and purchase stock at 75% of share value.
2) Announcement of a 10::1 AAPL stock split
Seriously, when I worked for IBM, they had such an Employee Stock Purchase plan -- it incented and rewarded employees for their contributions to the success of the company...
Many employees (including myself) used this plan to accumulate enough money to place a down payment on their first home.
I think the 10::1 stock split will shake up the ownership of AAPL stock -- put more stock in the hands of small investors to reduce the effect of manipulation by day-traders, leveraged funds, etc.
Just imagine Apple doing that with everybody. Because they have so huge commercial margins and a huge pile of cash in the bank. They would take the market by storm and increase worldwide market share of the Mac from 5 to 90% in just three years!
I won't go so far as to say "everybody". But when I learned they now have $100Billion in cash, it occurred to me they should spend a tiny fraction of that offering iPads to schools for $250 each. That would be less than cost (I think the latest iSuppli estimate is $312 per iPad) so they would be "spending". More importantly, they'd be putting serious quantities of iPads in education to support their iBooks 2 initiative. It would pay off big time in market share at a tiny hit to their cash reserves, and also foster tons of goodwill. Why not?
Yes to this. However, it seems to me that Apple ought to really WANT all their employees to have iPads. Point being, they could get first-hand feedback (input from customers is SECOND-hand) on how a relatively new device performs in the real world, and also on what folks WANT it to do that it does not. With its astounding profits, and with a new iPad model coming around the bend anyway, Apple should GIVE each employee an iPad, while also offering discounts on its other products. Or if not this, than at least a much larger discount keyed to how long they've worked for Apple.
1) Announcement of a liberal employee stock purchase plan -- say deduct up to 10% of your salary and purchase stock at 75% of share value.
Apple has had an ESPP for years, at least since the Nineties. Pretty much all publicly-traded Silicon Valley firms have one.
It's repeatedly mentioned in Apple's 10-K filings, year in, year out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
I think the 10::1 stock split will shake up the ownership of AAPL stock -- put more stock in the hands of small investors to reduce the effect of manipulation by day-traders, leveraged funds, etc.
Apple has never been a popular stock for individual investors even when shares were much cheaper. Right now, 70% of outstanding shares are held by institutional investors.
Per the proxy statement filed on January 9, there were 28,500 shareholders of record on December 27, 2011. That's not a lot of individual investors. That's about one out of every ten thousand Americans directly owning AAPL.
However, a lower stock price would increase volatility and trading volume. Most of the trade volume is from automated computer programs, not retail investors. Apple's average volume is almost 13 million shares.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook reportedly informed employees this week that later this year they will be able to buy an iPad with a $250 discount, while Macs will be available for $500 off.
Good for Apple. This program makes sense from every angle.
This comment from an Apple employee was overheard " Boy am I glad I waited, Dell and HP both offered me $1000.00 if I would take one of their machines for free. I did turn them down. "
you say this individual claims to have turned down a gift of $1,000 and some "machine" that they could keep, sell, or give away, for "free", i.e., no strings attached, no cost to them, no obligation, that's what "for free" means
The timing of this sounds like Apple is clearing out old inventory. Here, buy an iPad 2 at a discount. Oh, now the iPad3 is available.
Except this additional incentive doesn't go into effect until later this year, June I think. More than likely the delay is to keep employees from exercising this benefit and adding to the supply constraint that comes with product launches.
Employees should be encouraged to use the product. Purchase plans need to be consistent and fair.
At the old CompUSA the policy established at hiring was one computer system at employee price per year. A desktop and a laptop could be purchased in one year if you skip the following year. And buying for a gift or present was fine. So a top salesman buys a full set up for his cousin. His last personal purchase was almost two years earlier. Oh, it is not for personal use? You're fired. Not a simple, "Sorry, doesn't meet policy, or he will have to pay regular price." He got in the General Manager's face, but made no threats, no contact, no profanity or raised voices. They called the police on him.
It did not bother me one bit when they went out of business.
The timing of this sounds like Apple is clearing out old inventory. Here, buy an iPad 2 at a discount. Oh, now the iPad3 is available.
No, the policy is open-ended and can be used once every three years.
Thus an employee could get $500 savings on a Mac purchased six months from now and $250 on an iPad (whichever model is on the market) two years from today.
I suspect 95% of employees (if not 99%) are happier with this flat $500 deal. On the other hand, it probably would have been better if they had said "$500 or 25% of the retail price, whichever is greater" to recognize that SOME people have a need for a Mac Pro (I assume, since it's no one I know personally).
As a former employee, I'd suspect not.
25% off $2k is $500. Any system total above $500 is not a better deal.
Buy a new iMac or mac mini with a new Display and you've gone past $500, except the $500 cannot go towards the mini so I wonder if they'll allow a combo purchase and $500 deducted. Most likely. It appears the $2k is the equilibrium point where any system above it shows the 25% off to be a better deal.
If I want the iMac 27" 1TB with 16 GB of RAM I'm at $2699 before tax. Hence, the 25% is a better deal.
Just imagine Apple doing that with everybody. Because they have so huge commercial margins and a huge pile of cash in the bank. They would take the market by storm and increase worldwide market share of the Mac from 5 to 90% in just three years!
And then what? One day, they revert their prices back to normal, which would be a PR and perceived-value disaster? Or would they forever keep them that low, bleeding away all their money and margins? Both situations would be untenable.
25% off $2k is $500. Any system total above $500 is not a better deal.
Buy a new iMac or mac mini with a new Display and you've gone past $500, except the $500 cannot go towards the mini so I wonder if they'll allow a combo purchase and $500 deducted. Most likely. It appears the $2k is the equilibrium point where any system above it shows the 25% off to be a better deal.
If I want the iMac 27" 1TB with 16 GB of RAM I'm at $2699 before tax. Hence, the 25% is a better deal.
Once again, this appears to be IN ADDITION TO the normal discount.
Comments
Stockholders next,
pretty please.
What I had hoped for, in this order:
1) Announcement of a liberal employee stock purchase plan -- say deduct up to 10% of your salary and purchase stock at 75% of share value.
2) Announcement of a 10::1 AAPL stock split
Seriously, when I worked for IBM, they had such an Employee Stock Purchase plan -- it incented and rewarded employees for their contributions to the success of the company...
Many employees (including myself) used this plan to accumulate enough money to place a down payment on their first home.
I think the 10::1 stock split will shake up the ownership of AAPL stock -- put more stock in the hands of small investors to reduce the effect of manipulation by day-traders, leveraged funds, etc.
And they'll probably still make a profit on each sale. Basically, they are removing the Apple Tax for their staff. Which is the right thing to do.
Just imagine Apple doing that with everybody. Because they have so huge commercial margins and a huge pile of cash in the bank. They would take the market by storm and increase worldwide market share of the Mac from 5 to 90% in just three years!
I won't go so far as to say "everybody". But when I learned they now have $100Billion in cash, it occurred to me they should spend a tiny fraction of that offering iPads to schools for $250 each. That would be less than cost (I think the latest iSuppli estimate is $312 per iPad) so they would be "spending". More importantly, they'd be putting serious quantities of iPads in education to support their iBooks 2 initiative. It would pay off big time in market share at a tiny hit to their cash reserves, and also foster tons of goodwill. Why not?
You mean the chairman of HP has to pay full price for his MacBook Air, but the Apple Store staff who sold him the machine only has to pay $799?
Obviously, he's not an Apple employee; just a customer.
Yes to this. However, it seems to me that Apple ought to really WANT all their employees to have iPads. Point being, they could get first-hand feedback (input from customers is SECOND-hand) on how a relatively new device performs in the real world, and also on what folks WANT it to do that it does not. With its astounding profits, and with a new iPad model coming around the bend anyway, Apple should GIVE each employee an iPad, while also offering discounts on its other products. Or if not this, than at least a much larger discount keyed to how long they've worked for Apple.
What I had hoped for, in this order:
1) Announcement of a liberal employee stock purchase plan -- say deduct up to 10% of your salary and purchase stock at 75% of share value.
Apple has had an ESPP for years, at least since the Nineties. Pretty much all publicly-traded Silicon Valley firms have one.
It's repeatedly mentioned in Apple's 10-K filings, year in, year out.
I think the 10::1 stock split will shake up the ownership of AAPL stock -- put more stock in the hands of small investors to reduce the effect of manipulation by day-traders, leveraged funds, etc.
Apple has never been a popular stock for individual investors even when shares were much cheaper. Right now, 70% of outstanding shares are held by institutional investors.
Per the proxy statement filed on January 9, there were 28,500 shareholders of record on December 27, 2011. That's not a lot of individual investors. That's about one out of every ten thousand Americans directly owning AAPL.
However, a lower stock price would increase volatility and trading volume. Most of the trade volume is from automated computer programs, not retail investors. Apple's average volume is almost 13 million shares.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook reportedly informed employees this week that later this year they will be able to buy an iPad with a $250 discount, while Macs will be available for $500 off.
Good for Apple. This program makes sense from every angle.
What I had hoped for, in this order:
1) Announcement of a liberal employee stock purchase plan -- say deduct up to 10% of your salary and purchase stock at 75% of share value.
according to my sources that has been in place since before retail
Oh and this $250/500 is on top of the regular discount, not in place of, says my source
This comment from an Apple employee was overheard " Boy am I glad I waited, Dell and HP both offered me $1000.00 if I would take one of their machines for free. I did turn them down. "
you say this individual claims to have turned down a gift of $1,000 and some "machine" that they could keep, sell, or give away, for "free", i.e., no strings attached, no cost to them, no obligation, that's what "for free" means
either they're an idiot or someone is lying
The timing of this sounds like Apple is clearing out old inventory. Here, buy an iPad 2 at a discount. Oh, now the iPad3 is available.
Employee Deal?
The timing of this sounds like Apple is clearing out old inventory. Here, buy an iPad 2 at a discount. Oh, now the iPad3 is available.
Except this additional incentive doesn't go into effect until later this year, June I think. More than likely the delay is to keep employees from exercising this benefit and adding to the supply constraint that comes with product launches.
At the old CompUSA the policy established at hiring was one computer system at employee price per year. A desktop and a laptop could be purchased in one year if you skip the following year. And buying for a gift or present was fine. So a top salesman buys a full set up for his cousin. His last personal purchase was almost two years earlier. Oh, it is not for personal use? You're fired. Not a simple, "Sorry, doesn't meet policy, or he will have to pay regular price." He got in the General Manager's face, but made no threats, no contact, no profanity or raised voices. They called the police on him.
It did not bother me one bit when they went out of business.
Apple has had an ESPP for years, at least since the Nineties. Pretty much all publicly-traded Silicon Valley firms have one.
It's repeatedly mentioned in Apple's 10-K filings, year in, year out.
Ahh... The last time I paid any attention to Apple benes was in 1989... they virtually had no benes except child care...
Employee Deal?
The timing of this sounds like Apple is clearing out old inventory. Here, buy an iPad 2 at a discount. Oh, now the iPad3 is available.
No, the policy is open-ended and can be used once every three years.
Thus an employee could get $500 savings on a Mac purchased six months from now and $250 on an iPad (whichever model is on the market) two years from today.
I suspect 95% of employees (if not 99%) are happier with this flat $500 deal. On the other hand, it probably would have been better if they had said "$500 or 25% of the retail price, whichever is greater" to recognize that SOME people have a need for a Mac Pro (I assume, since it's no one I know personally).
As a former employee, I'd suspect not.
25% off $2k is $500. Any system total above $500 is not a better deal.
Buy a new iMac or mac mini with a new Display and you've gone past $500, except the $500 cannot go towards the mini so I wonder if they'll allow a combo purchase and $500 deducted. Most likely. It appears the $2k is the equilibrium point where any system above it shows the 25% off to be a better deal.
If I want the iMac 27" 1TB with 16 GB of RAM I'm at $2699 before tax. Hence, the 25% is a better deal.
Just imagine Apple doing that with everybody. Because they have so huge commercial margins and a huge pile of cash in the bank. They would take the market by storm and increase worldwide market share of the Mac from 5 to 90% in just three years!
And then what? One day, they revert their prices back to normal, which would be a PR and perceived-value disaster? Or would they forever keep them that low, bleeding away all their money and margins? Both situations would be untenable.
As a former employee, I'd suspect not.
25% off $2k is $500. Any system total above $500 is not a better deal.
Buy a new iMac or mac mini with a new Display and you've gone past $500, except the $500 cannot go towards the mini so I wonder if they'll allow a combo purchase and $500 deducted. Most likely. It appears the $2k is the equilibrium point where any system above it shows the 25% off to be a better deal.
If I want the iMac 27" 1TB with 16 GB of RAM I'm at $2699 before tax. Hence, the 25% is a better deal.
Once again, this appears to be IN ADDITION TO the normal discount.