Apple chief executive Steve Jobs creceived a liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago, but is still scheduled to return to work at the end of this month, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Jobs's health has been the subject of speculation since his decision to pull out of the annual Macworld event in Janaury, and his gaunt appearance at last year's Worldwide Developer Conference.

Since then Apple confirmed that Jobs had a "hormone imbalance" and would take medical leave for six months until June, leaving chief operating officer Tim Cook in charge.

The Wall Street Journal report cites an unnamed source "familiar with the thinking at Apple".

"The chief executive has been recovering well and is expected to return to work on schedule later this month, though he may work part-time initially," said the report.

Jobs did not respond to an email from the WSJ requesting comment, and Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton is reported as saying that "Steve continues to look forward to returning at the end of June, and there's nothing further to say".

The success of Apple on the stockmarket appears to be intrinsically linked to the health of its chief executive. Shares in the firm rose when Jobs initially revealed that he had not been suffering from a recurrence of pancreatic cancer but a hormonal imbalance, and then dived again after his leave of absence was announced.

According to the report, some Apple directors were aware of the surgery, and some have been briefed weekly on his health as part of an agreement made with Jobs prior to his taking leave.

Apple could make an official announcement next week on the emerging news.