When it comes to various “top companies” listings, we usually see Apple ending up in the first part of the top, and seeing it grabbing only the 6th position in BusinessWeek 50 Rankings made me wonder “why,” but most important of all, “who’s above,” so let’s see…
First, if this sounds like something new to you, then you should know that the BusinessWeek 50 Rankings is the list of “the star performers in each of the 10 sectors that make up the S&P; 500.” Now, let’s move on and see what do they say about Apple, because that’s what really matters, after all.
“Apple launched its latest category-busting gadget, the iPhone, in 2007, and its shares more than doubled. But investors may be more focused now on the stock’s 28 percent plunge since the start of 2008: The Cupertino (Calif.) company has become the poster child for market fears of a slowdown in consumer spending. Chief Executive Steve Jobs has signaled that, despite any recession, Apple won’t be trimming its R&D; budget. With $18 billion in cash on hand, many expect the product- obsessed Jobs to go on the offensive. He has already announced a corporate version of the iPhone.”
OK, so now I got my answer to the “why” question – it’s all about share price and fears that research and development spending may even make those shares’ value go lower. Well, I guess research and development will repay their debts later, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.
At last, here’s the list of companies that got higher rankings than Apple – Coach, Gilead Science, Allegheny Technologies, Verizon and Questar. Hehe… I am sure a lot of you are glad Microsoft is not in the list, aren’t you? 😉