APPLE TAKES LUMPS

Apple broke its silence for the first time to defend its handling of Steve Jobs’ health issues after shareholders criticized the company’s lack of disclosure.

At Apple’s annual meeting yesterday, executives also waved off questions about reports that federal regulators were probing whether the company provided enough information to investors.

“We believe we have met all disclosure obligations,” Apple director Arthur Levinson told investors gathered at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

Still, investors who attended the meeting in hopes of gleaning more information about Jobs’ health status or the company’s succession plan were disappointed when executives refused to offer additional details.

The company maintained that nothing had changed and that Jobs remains involved after taking six-months’ medical leave to deal with complications from his battle with pancreatic cancer. Apple said Jobs still plans to return in June.

In January, the charismatic and mercurial CEO, who is synonymous with Apple’s success, did an about-face and said his health problems were more “complicated” than he had originally thought after dodging questions about his increasingly gaunt appearance.

The bombshell announcement rekindled concerns that his health issues were grave.