Why Apple Should Follow IBM's Successful Turnaround Story

In recent months, Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly stressed that the company still has a number of aces up its sleeve. Cook has dropped coy hints that bold new products are in the pipeline, so Apple could still surprise investors with better-than-expected growth.

But even if Cook is right and Apple is on the cusp of an impressive product release cycle, then he's wrong on one key point: Apple will never again be a great growth story it once was.

The company's annual revenue base is fast-approaching the $200 billion mark, so even if the company is layered in tens of billions of dollars in new revenue, that would only offset some of the revenue declines the Apple will experience from maturing key products and competitive pressure, which could lead to more price cuts.

Make no mistake, it is Cook's job to focus on product development and technology leadership. But Apple's board of directors now has a completely different task: Boost a stock price that remains in a free fall. Continue reading "Why Apple Should Follow IBM's Successful Turnaround Story"