2500億美元在手，蘋果可能收購哪些公司

蘋果公司要將囤積海外的現金轉回美國，付清相關稅款后就可以支配巨款。追蹤蘋果動向的觀察人士正在猜測，蘋果可能會怎么花這筆錢。

長期研究蘋果的分析師吉恩·明斯特現任風投公司Loup Ventures的管理合伙人。他認為，蘋果可能用這筆巨資收購增強現實領域初創公司Magic Leap，以及健身初創公司Peloton。明斯特與財經科技資訊網站Business Insider討論蘋果可能的計劃時表示，蘋果不太可能做“大型并購交易?！?

蘋果上周三宣布，近2500億美元囤積海外的現金將轉回國內。蘋果要為大規模轉賬納稅380億美元，好處是終于可以自由使用這筆資金。蘋果表示，將用幾十億美元招募2萬名新員工，并且在美國大力投資。

但明斯特和其他很多業內觀察者認為，蘋果也可能考慮收購。過去幾個月，有關蘋果可能發起重大收購的猜測甚囂塵上，視頻流媒體巨頭奈飛和電動汽車公司特斯拉都成為傳聞中的收購對象。而明斯特對此有不同看法。

他認為蘋果可能耗資數十億美元收購Magic Leap，因為Magic Leap已經打入增強現實頭盔市場，而蘋果說過會大筆投資該領域，所以收購可能比較大。Peloton已經全面涉獵健身行業，產品從健身設備到健康培訓課程都有涉及，有可能幫助蘋果加快推進健康領域的業務。

Business Insider報道稱，明斯特認為，蘋果轉回大筆海外現金后，有很大一部分都會回饋股東。他預計，今年2月1日公布財報的時候，蘋果可能宣布回購700億美元的股票，還可能派發120億美元股息。他并沒有透露如何預測出這些數據。（財富中文網）

譯者：Pessy

審校：夏林

Apple is repatriating its overseas cash hoard, giving the company the opportunity to do whatever it wants with that money once it pays taxes. And now one noted Apple tracker is guessing at the big buys the company might make with all that cash.

Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst who now serves as managing partner at venture capital firm Loup Ventures, believes Apple could acquire augmented reality startup Magic Leap and fitness-focused company Peloton with its newfound cash windfall. Speaking to Business Insider about Apple’s plans, Munster added that he doesn’t believe Apple will engage in “any big M&A deals.”

Apple announced on Wednesday plans to repatriate its nearly quarter-trillion in overseas cash. The move will cost the company $38 billion in taxes, but will also free up the sum to be spent. Apple has already said that it plans to use billions of the cash to bring on 20,000 new employees and invest heavily in the U.S.

But Munster, along with many other industry-watchers, believes Apple’s cash could also be used on acquisitions. And while speculation has been running rampant for months that Apple could make a major acquisition, including buying Netflix or Tesla, Munster sees it differently.

He believes Magic Leap, which would likely cost Apple several billion dollars, has tapped into the augmented-reality headset market and could attract Apple, which has already said that it’s investing heavily in that space. Peloton, which has build a multi-faced fitness company that offers everything from workout hardware to classes on how to improve health, could also help Apple accelerate its health-focused operations.

According to Business Insider, Munster believes the lion’s share of Apple’s freed-up cash will be sent back to shareholders. When Apple reports earnings on February 1, he said, the company could announce a $70 billion share buyback program and a $12 billion dividend. He didn’t say how he arrived at those figures.