MORE Good News From Apple Regarding Its Global Takeover

Last week, Apple's AAPL stock crossed the $300 per share level, and subsequently drove Apple's market cap above $275 billion, according to Barron's. Barron's goes on to say that with another 20% gain, the company could surpass ExxonMobil XOM as the most valuable company on the planet. Barron's writes "Apple's better-than 40% rally this year has been propelled by nearly insatiable consumer demand for both the iPhone 4 and the iPad. Just how strong demand has been we'll see on Monday when the company reports results for its fiscal fourth quarter, ended in September. The Street expects strong results; analysts have been ratcheting up their estimates. Meanwhile, with prices for key components like LCD display screens and memory chips falling, profits should get a boost from above-forecast margins." Last Wednesday, Apple held a Mac-themed product-launch event, where the company promised a "sneak peak" at the next version of its OS X operating system software. There should also be some new hardware, so don't be surprised if Apple refreshes its Macbook line.