Watch Apple stock carefully. The Apple CEO Steve Jobs has temporarily left his post at Apple saying that his health problems are more complex than he originally thought. This is a change of position from a few days earlier, when he said that his ‘hormone imbalance’ was relatively straightforward and his body should be back to normal within months.
Speculation is bound to follow that he has life threatening problems, no matter what he says, and for a company so clearly identified with the drive and vision of a single person this will soon be reflected in the share price.
In the past Apple without Jobs has lost its way and performed badly. He said that he will return to the company in June.
Jobs said in an email to staff that he is just taking himself out of the limelight so he can focus on his health, something that he refused to do when first diagnosed with prostate cancer. Our thoughts are with him, but investors can never afford to be sympathetic and this is likely to wreak havoc with the company’s share price.