What does Jobs' return mean for RIM?

If Apple (AAPL:Q) CEO Steve Jobs is coming back to work shortly, what does that mean for the stock? Inquiring minds will want to know, before the market opens.

Can only be good, right?!?!

If Mr. Jobs really is worth US$20 billion to Apple’s market cap. (see prior post “What’s bad for Apple seems to be a tonic for Research in Motion” January 15-09) as repeated by Henry Blodget last October, and Apple and Research In Motion (RIM:TSX, RIMM:Q) seem to trade in sympathy more than they trade apart, can RIM shareholders look for a bounce on the news about Mr. Jobs’ health as well?

Or will the return of Mr. Jobs cause hedgies to trade out of RIM, for fear that Mr. Apple himself will be all full of piss-and-vinegar and looking to design an iPhone III. Just to prove that he’s still got it. Hmmm. What to do, what to do.

YTD, Apple’s up 68% while RIM is up 102%. Not the relative performance we normally except.

While our favourite CEO is busy with the hunt for a hockey franchise, will Mr. Jobs’ return to his desk close the stock performance gap? Or just push RIM shares higher, too, as the industry’s defacto EPS multiples expand?

One a 1 and 5 year basis, Apple has outperformed RIM shares. On a 10 year review, RIM has returned more than double Apple’s stock performance. Over 20 years, RIM has outperformed Apple shares by 4x.

But, now what? Maybe just own both and not worry about who wins, since you win, either way in that case.

MRM
(disclosure – I own RIM)