Roger Fingas
For the first time, Apple is now the world's biggest technology corporation not just in terms of market capitalization, but also in sales, profits and assets, according to new rankings published on Monday.
Based on figures available by April 6 — notably excluding the company's record March quarter — Apple managed $200 billion in sales, a net profit of $45 billion, and $260 billion in assets, according to Forbes's latest annual Global 2000 rankings. The company's next closest competitor was Samsung, which achieved $195 billion in sales, $22 billion in net profit, and $210 billion in assets.
Immediately below Samsung were Microsoft, Google, and IBM. Rounding out the top 10 were Intel, Cisco, Oracle, HP, and chief Apple supplier Foxconn.
Apple retained the highest market capitalization in any sector, with a worth of about $740 billion, more than twice Google's. Despite doing well in the most important metrics, Samsung's market cap was below not just Apple and Google's, but also that of firms like Alibaba and Facebook.
Forbes remarked that positions in the Global 2000 are based on a combined weighting of sales, profits, assets, and market cap.
During the March quarter, Apple took in $13.57 billion in net profit, based off $58.01 billion in revenue. Most of Apple's income in recent years has been attached to the iPhone, and strong sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus since September have pushed the company even higher. Macs and iPads continue to contribute to the bottom line, but iPad sales have been on the decline in recent quarters.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Sponsored Content
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
Wesley Hilliard
21 Comments
So scary that this company relies so heavily on one product. I pray Apple diversifies ASAP. Make a car! Samsung makes appliances.
Ok this list is weird. I sorted by profits and Vodafone was #1 with $77B in profits yet sales were only $66B. How is that possible?
So scary that this company relies so heavily on one product. I pray Apple diversifies ASAP. Make a car! Samsung makes appliances.
Apple's basket is nearly all of consumer tech - that is, the big areas that draw the crowds.
The most profitable PCs
- the most profitable AIOs
- the most profitable notebooks
The most profitable tablets
The most profitable smartphones
And now, the most profitable smartwatch
Not to mention services like iTunes, etc.
Additionally, an entire industry has grown up around accessorizing and enhancing all of these products.
Apple makes $$$ like no other, and it's right across the board with all of their products, not just the iPhone. The iPhone is immensely profitable, but Apple beats the competition in profit for all of the other products listed.
And... "so scary"? "So scary" that Boeing relies so heavily on planes, Ford relies so heavily on cars, etc.
Nearly the same sales, half the profits, that's the Samsung way!
[quote name="Quadra 610" url="/t/186312/apple-tops-tech-rivals-in-sales-profits-assets-for-first-time-in-forbes-global-2000#post_2724424"]
Apple's basket is nearly all of consumer tech - that is, the big areas that draw the crowds.
The most profitable PCs - the most profitable AIOs - the most profitable notebooks The most profitable tablets The most profitable smartphones And now, the most profitable smartwatch Not to mention services like iTunes, etc.
Additionally, an entire industry has grown up around accessorizing and enhancing all of these products.
Apple makes $$$ like no other, and it's right across the board with all of their products, not just the iPhone. The iPhone is immensely profitable, but Apple beats the competition in profit for all of the other products listed.
And... "so scary"? "So scary" that Boeing relies so heavily on planes, Ford relies so heavily on cars, etc.
[/quote] You make good points, but so did the OP. All those devices became profitable because of the iPhone. In essence those devices stand on the shoulders of the iPhone, and if the iPhone stumbles then the whole house is capable of coming down. It's far fetched, but nonetheless a possible reality.