No iPhone 5/iPhone 4S This Summer Leads To No Growth In Apple's Stock

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Even if you only casually follow the financial markets, then you’ll know that Apple’s stock has been something of a gem the past 10 years or so. It only seems to go in one direction – up. However, in the first six months of this year, it’s been somewhat flat. Wall Street wants growth, and a flat stock isn’t good (ask Microsoft). The lack of an iPhone this year is being attributed to Apple’s mediocre stock performance.

As the readers will know, Apple usually comes out with a new iPhone in June/July. This year, all rumors have pointed towards a new iPhone coming out in September. That rumor has come from so many sources, many of them credible and some known to have inside ties to Apple, so it is more likely true than not. But, that means no iPhone 5 with mobs of people standing in line Apple Store in the first half of the year, and hence the stock had had little growth.

It has been suggested that the stock is flat because of Steve Jobs. The CEO made an appearance at WWDC, but he’s still technically on medical leave (although he’s rumored to be making more appearances at the Apple campus recently). The public perception of Apple is that Jobs closely works on every major Apple product, so if he has to leave the company permanently, that could cause a downturn in Apple fortunes. It doesn’t help that Apple and their board of directors have refused to talk about the successor to Jobs, or what they would do if (god forbid) Jobs died tomorrow.

For the record, Apple’s share price, year-to-date, is up 4%. No, not a loss. But still their worst H1 performance since 2008. In H1 2010 for example, their stock price was up 18%. So, a flat six month for Apple.