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Icahn presses Apple for $150 bn share buyback
by Staff Writers
New York City (AFP) Oct 01, 2013


Dell says it has regulatory clearance for buyout
New York City (AFP) Oct 01, 2013 - US computer giant Dell said Tuesday it received regulatory clearance for a buyout led by company founder Michael Dell and that the deal would close by the end of October.

Dell shareholders approved the plan September 12 after a bitter proxy fight, with opposition led by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, claiming the plan undervalued the former number one computer maker.

The proposal, worth about $25 billion, will remove Dell shares from the market and allow Michael Dell to make changes out of the spotlight of Wall Street.

Under the terms of the transaction, Dell shareholders will receive $13.75 in cash for each share of Dell common stock, plus a special cash dividend of 13 cents per share. The total transaction is valued at about $24.9 billion.

The transaction comes amid a seismic shift in the technology sector with the rise of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices at the expense of the once-mighty personal computer market.

Michael Dell created the company from his dorm room at the University of Texas and grew the Round Rock, Texas-based company into a global heavyweight known for direct service to customers and cutting out the retail middle man.

But diminishing PC sales have led to seven straight quarters of declining profits. And the special committee established to consider Dell's strategic options gave a bleak outlook for the future of the PC market.

Analysts say Dell must implement some radical changes to bolster its presence in the software and services businesses to make up for declining PCs.

Activist investor Carl Icahn said Tuesday he wants Apple to launch an additional share buyback of $150 billion to help boost the company's struggling stock value.

Icahn said in a tweet he met with Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Monday over dinner to discuss his idea, and that he would continue talks with head of the maker of the iPhone and iPad.

"Had a cordial dinner with Tim last night. We pushed hard for a 150 billion buyback. We decided to continue dialogue in about three weeks," the Twitter message said.

Icahn indicated in August he would press Apple to increase its stock buyback, in which the company purchases its own shares in a bid to boost its value.

Earlier this year, Apple yielded to pressure from the hedge fund Greenlight Capital, agreeing to return some $100 billion to shareholders over the next two years, including $60 billion in share repurchases.

Apple shares, which topped $700 last September and then slumped below $400, traded up 1.6 percent at $484.41.

A recent IDC survey showed Apple's share of the global smartphone market slipped to 13.2 percent in the second quarter, from 16.6 percent a year ago, while Android's share rose to 79.3 percent.

But Apple is expected to get a boost from its new iPhones, which will have wider circulation in countries like Japan and China.

Icahn has a long history of taking positions in companies that give him the leverage to force changes in management or provide dividends to shareholders.

soe-rl/sg

APPLE INC

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Windows Phone gains in Europe, Apple up in US: survey
Washington (AFP) Sept 30, 2013
Windows-based smartphones are making significant inroads in Europe, while Apple's iPhone is strengthening its position in the United States, a survey showed Monday. Data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech for the three months ending in August showed Windows Phone, the mobile platform from Microsoft, has posted its highest ever sales share of 9.2 percent in the five major European markets. Wi ... read more


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