Steve Jobs Back at Work and so is Apple Stock

Apple Inc’s (APPL: NYSE) stock has been on a tear recently up 100% since March. Despite a slow economic recovery, the iPod maker’s recent 3Q earnings bucked Wall Street forecasts blowing by estimates on a flourish of laptop and iPhone sales.

Not too long ago technology pundits were considering the fate of Apple given Steve Jobs’ health concerns. During the time of Jobs’ announcement to undergo a liver transplant earlier this year, Apple stock coincidentally took a dive dangerously linking the CEO to stock price.

No doubt Steve Jobs has rock star persona. But does his celebrity detract from the overall business objectives? That question can be debated either way. Iconic executives may indeed affect business decisions as in the case of Carley Fiorina who stepped down as HP’s CEO in 2005 amid a firestorm of negative media coverage.

The consensus of business experts is that CEOs are best to avoid the spotlight and focus interviews on the company rather than themselves. Apple and Jobs however may have no choice at the moment but should be planning some kind of legacy strategy to circumvent any potential future hiccups.