Fundamentally, the company has a very strong balance sheet, and for a hi- tech market leader selling at 17 times earnings, appears from an historical basis, fairly reasonably priced. Technically speaking, the stock for the past several years has risen 6 fold from the 100 dollar level, to 600. As is reflected in its chart, this appreciation has been consistent and at a steady pace. From the psychological perspective, AAPL has become a house hold name, as well as its founder, the late Steve Jobs. Personally, I don't believe his death will have a great negative effect on the company's performance. The company has put into place a strong management team, along with an impressive R and D group. Of course all good things do eventually come to an end, but at this point in time, with the personal computer here to stay, and with Apples significant market share both here and abroad, ( although having not under taken any research into industry growth projections), superficially, I would have to classify it as a life time keeper.
