At Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) annual assembly, the company had an opportunity to calm upset investors. With its stock down from $202 to $124 in just a little by two months, throwing shareholders a bone might have been a good view.

Apple currently has $20 billion in cash and short-term investments. The company nearly never buys other companies. It does not need the money for capital expenditures. Each quarter, the cash balance gets larger.

Apple’s faithful are concerned, with good reason, that iPod sales may be slowing. There has been doubt voiced about whether the company can hit its ambitious iPhone sales targets. The economy could additionally catch up with Apple. PCs and consumer electronics are not essentials when

Apple could have announced a share buy-back or created a dividend. Some critics would say that a “growth stock” is not an investment for yield investors. But for the date being Apple is not a growth stock. Giving loyal investors a little cash back would not have been such a not good view.

Steve Jobs probably thinks he knows what is right for society who own stock in his company. Some investors are probably losing patience with that. Not everyone is a billionaire.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Original post by Douglas McIntyre

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