NEW YORK--The annual Macworld conference this week should bolster Apple Inc.'s (AAPLE) shares by shoring up confidence in the company's long-term strategy despite the absence of Steve Jobs, a Thomas Weisel Partners analyst said Monday.

Analyst Doug Reid said he expects a "solid performance" from Phil Schiller, an Apple marketing executive tapped to give the company's keynote address Tuesday.

And he said the presentation -- likely to include updates to the Mac Mini and "victory laps" around the new online iPhone application store -- should convince investors that the company can succeed with Jobs in a diminished role.

Speculation about Apple and its chief executive has been intense since the Cupertino, Calif., company said last month that this year's conference would be its last and that Jobs will not make his usual presentation, an annual staple in the technology industry.

Like Reid, some analysts have said the conference should highlight the company's ability to innovate and grow sales without Jobs as its public face. Others have cast doubt on Apple's long-term future without him.

Reid reiterated his "Overweight" rating on Apple shares and a 12-month price target of $160.

Apple shares jumped 21 cents in premarket trading on Monday to $90.96.