Activist Investor Carl Icahn Still Wants His Bite Out Of Apple

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was a company we just featured in two different ways. The first issue is that it is among six known tech stocks under activist investor pressure. The second is that Apple is about to hit new 52-week highs any moment. Along the activist front, Carl Icahn has issued a Tweet saying that he still plans to go after Apple.

Carl Icahn’s Twitter account said, “Gave $AAPL notice we’ll be making a precatory proposal to call for vote to increase buyback program, although not at $150 billion level.”

Is that supposed to be a “predatory” proposal, or are we supposed to use a dictionary to see that precatory means a wish or advisory suggestion without a demand?

So, with the stock at 52-week highs did the great activist investor realize that maybe piling on a ridiculous amount of debt just to buy back a boat load of shares was perhaps not the best strategy for Apple shareholders over a longer period than say a few months?

Understanding activist investors is sometimes very clear. Sometimes it is far from clear. If Apple has rallied this much off its lows in 2013, maybe the problems are far less than they seemed.

Apple shares were down 0.5% at $563.30 on last look. In short, Icahn is saying he is still there but will be a lot less loud without being quiet. Oh, and Carl Icahn will supposedly be on the cover for the next issue of Time Magazine.