Carl Icahn has made some interesting statements regarding his stakes in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NUAN). People have been speculating for some time that he was going to try to push Apple into acquiring Nuance. However, as we have noted several times, this is unlikely to be doable. And in fact, our sources have suggested to us in the past that this is not Icahn’s intent with the two companies at all.
Although many people like to jump to conclusions when an activist investor like Carl Icahn moves in on a company like Nuance, it sounds like his purchases of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Nuance shares are unrelated. It’s true that Icahn is making a move on Apple right now, attempting to push the company into a $150 billion share buyback as soon as possible.
However, he said at the Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit this week that he would never tell Apple management to acquire Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NUAN).
Icahn wouldn’t “micromanage” an Apple acquisition of Nuance
He’s quoted in more than one place (including Street Insider) as saying:
“That is something I would never micromanage and never even think of telling Tim Cook … It has zero to do with the fact that I’m involved in Apple … I don’t have the expertise or the presumption to say I have the expertise to tell him to do that.”
Of course the reason so many people have speculated that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should buy Nuance is because the company developed its Siri personal assistant feature. However, that part is just a small piece of what Nuance does.
Icahn doesn’t want to fight with Apple
On Monday Carl Icahn also said he didn’t want to pick a fight with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) or CEO Tim Cook. Those comments, however, seemed to be the opposite of what he has said in the recent past when he suggested he might initiate a proxy fight to force Apple into his massive share buyback scheme.
