New all time high ($493.17) after the market close on February 9th. AAPL historically rarely makes sizeable percentage moves and maintains it for a long period of time. Since the earnings announcement on January 24, the stock is up nearly 17% (following is up to Feb 8).
Nothing material which I could see crossed the news wire during the day. No new ground breaking rumors. The smart money (the big institutions) is what’s moving the stock. Meaning they know something everyone else doesn’t know. This is not the iPad 3 moving the stock because that bit of information is a given. This has nothing to do with the next iPhone either because that is also a given. Whatever information the big money has, it has to be something else.
The shareholders meeting is in a couple of weeks on February 23. There could be the remote possibility Apple is going to announce some initiatives related to their cash (i.e. share buyback or dividend). A dividend is more of a matter of when, not if, but I don’t see them announcing anything of this sort at the meeting.
