Apple: Tim Cook Regains Control of Stock

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Just when we were preparing to sell additional Apple positions on Monday because of the continued selling pressure on the stock, the action reversed in a major way.

In the early hours of trading the Dow was up 140 points and Apple (AAPL) was being held down (it was up $1).

We figured that the hedge funds were following though with their selloff attempts of last week but at 1:30 pm EST, it all changed as Apple skyrocketed $10.

Apple CEO Tim Cook

What might have caused the jump? Most likely it came from leaks connected to Tim Cook's trip to China. The last thing a selling hedge fund wants to discover is that there is good news hitting during a supposed quiet period.

Cook is proving to be less predictable that Steve Jobs was. We've seen it with the dividend, the delayed iPhone 4S release, the iPad name, the quick responses to market rumors, Cook's unexpected presentation at the Goldman Sachs conference and now this surprise China trip.

In the past, short sellers loved using Apple because its secrecy and calendar driven innovation opened the stock up to uncontested manipulation during the quiet periods. That precedent may be coming to an end.

The threat of Cook disrupting a pre-planned selloff is not good for the shorts. This kind of action proves that our increased core position in Apple was and is the right move.

Instead of selling to 70% to 90% cash during an expected selloff like we did last year at www.appleplusportfolios.com, 2012 requires us to hold onto larger allocations of Apple. Investors are discovering that Tim Cook doesn't want the market to think that it's in charge of Apple's price movements. He is.

At the time of publication, Jason Schwarz was long Apple.

This commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet guest contributor program. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of TheStreet or its management.

Jason Schwarz is an option strategist for Lone Peak Asset Management in Westlake Village, Calif. He is also the founder of the popular investment newsletter available at www.economictiming.com. Over the past few years, Schwarz has gained acclaim for his market calls on the price of oil, Bank of America, Apple, E*Trade, and his precision investing in S&P 500 option LEAPS. His book, The Alpha Hunter, is set to be released by McGraw Hill in December 2009.