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| courtesy: www.usatoday.com |
Cash in this sense translates into the ability to consider acquisitions and other potentially business-boosting deals. Microsoft for example had been planning to borrow money for the first time, before it withdrew its $US44.6 billion Yahoo.
Meanwhile, says the article, Apple's balance has been growing -- reaching $US19.5 billion at last count -- as a result of the cash generated by its Mac and iPod lines. Less than four years ago, its stockpile was $US5.5 billion, with investors now watching Apple's growing cash balance in much the same way they did Microsoft's a few years ago.
Historically, Apple has "built its business from the ground up, preferring smaller strategic acquisitions of technology and talent", says seattlepi.com, adding that if the company "continues to follow that pattern, that means it's not likely to reduce its cash pile through a blockbuster deal".
