Will Stock Collectibles Become Extinct?

Today's news is Apple's (AAPL) announcement about just what it intends to do with a reported $100 Billion in cash in the bank. Looks like a dividend is FINALLY returning. But will it buy futures contracts on supplies? Will it enter into large acquisitions? Hell for $100 Billion they could probably buy Portugal and Greece!

Here's some of the buzz:

• ZDnet: What Apple should do with some of its cash — buy Nuance
• GigaOm: Apple will discuss plans for its cash pile with investors
• NYTimes: Apple’s Big Cash Pile: The Odds Are Against a Big Deal
• Daily Report: Apple Announces a Dividend

I can only hope that this will usher in a new era of responsible capitalism, where profitable companies share those profits with investors. Here's a funny excerpt from an earlier NYTimes article (pre-announcement):

A. M. Sacconaghi Jr., an analyst with Bernstein Research ... said that issuing a dividend could help Apple appeal to new types of value investors.

What an odd thought! I guess that's the euphemism these days for those who are uncomfortable with Ponzi schemes: value investors.