Apple Invests $1 Billion in SoftBank
With SoftBank's recent launch I want to bring up an observation that I find interesting and perplexing. Apple invested $1 Billion in SoftBank. To me this was a rather interesting move for two reasons. First, because Apple states that one of the main reasons for hoarding $200 Billion in cash is because they are waiting for better opportunities (which I think is rather odd). Second, why doesn't Apple invest on its own?
With that much cash why does Apple need SoftBank? Why don't they just start their own massive fund and skip the fees that they will inevitably inccur? To me it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Apple to hand over its cash when it could aggressively pursue M&A or to ramp up R&D on its own. Also, do you think that this move by Apple is a signal that it's views on its cash reserve are changing or is the company just looking for a return?