Look what Barron’s wants Apple to buy

From Tae Kim’s Apple’s Next Big Move? It Should Buy Nintendo ($) in this week’s magazine:

Apple needs its next big thing—fast…

In a recent CNBC interview, Cook made it clear that the company continues to ponder large acquisitions, as well: “We’ve elected so far not to do those because we haven’t found one that we said, ‘Wow, that’s a nice intersection of Apple.’ But I’d never rule it out.”

While flashy candidates like Netflix and Tesla often get mentioned, their elevated valuations and cash burn don’t match Apple’s love for high profit margins and financial conservatism.

The best fit for Apple may be Nintendo, its stylistic twin in Asia. Like Apple, Nintendo likes to make money. Both companies have similar attributes: mountains of cash, gushing profits, beloved brands, loyal customers, and sticky ecosystems of software and services.

My take: Of all the Apple acquisition fantasies I’ve read, this may be the dumbest. “Like Apple, Nintendo likes to make money.” Really? Apple generally buys talent and technology, not other company’s aging franchises. Besides, it’s already got Mario in the App Store.

[apple-subscribe]