“S&P REITERATES STRONG BUY OPINION ON SHARES OF APPLE INC. (AAPL; 89.94):

AAPL announces that it will no longer participate at the MacWorld Conference & Expo after 2009, and that CEO Steve Jobs will not deliver the keynote speech at the show next month. We believe that AAPL’s decision to scale back on trade show appearances is understandable, given its extensive customer reach and brand awareness. But we think that Job’s absence adds to concerns regarding his health and future leadership of the company. Nonetheless, we maintain our strong buy opinion based on our favorable view of AAPL’s computer and handheld businesses and attractive valuations. -T. Smith-CFA, C. Montevirgen”