Fortune has released its annual Fortune 500 list of the top U.S. corporations based on gross revenue, which together accounted for $12.5 trillion in revenues, $945 billion in profits and $17 trillion in market value. Apple maintained the 5th spot in the rankings for the second consecutive year after steadily rising from 6th place in 2013, 17th place in 2012, 35th place in 2011 and 56th place in 2010.
"After a bumpy start to 2014, Apple's stock finished the year up 40%, adding nearly $200 billion to the company's market value. A product pipeline that's gotten Apple fanboys lining up all over again has certainly helped reenergize revenue growth: In addition to unveiling new categories like Apple Pay and Apple Watch, the company launched the iPhone 6, selling a record-breaking 10 million units in the first three days. As CEO Tim Cook recently told investors: "It's tough to find something in the numbers not to like." The normally low-profile Cook is breaking new ground in other ways too—in October, 2014 he came out as the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company."
Fortune identified fast-growing iPhone and Mac sales and brand power as two of the company's key strengths, while citing declining iPad sales and high expectations from investors and consumers as weaknesses. The publication believes Apple's much-rumored streaming TV service presents an opportunity for the company, while Android and Chinese smartphone manufacturers remain threats.
Apple recorded operating revenue of $182.79 billion during the 2014 fiscal year, a 7% year-over-year increase. Walmart, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Berkshire Hathaway topped the list with between $194.6 and $485.6 billion revenue, although it's worth noting that Apple finished ahead of all four of those companies with $39.5 billion in profit and recently posted two record-breaking quarters.
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Top Rated Comments
(View all)A product pipeline that's gotten Apple fanboys lining up all over again
A product pipeline that has Walmart fanboys lining up all over again
A product pipeline that's gotten Exxon fanboys lining up all over again
A product pipeline that's gotten Berkshire Hathaway fanboys lining up all over again
Do they not realize how ridiculous this sounds? 10% of the world are Apple fanboys now?
Also, "Office Equipment" LMAO
Reading updates like this just makes my blood boil when I think about the 1.4GHz iMac/Mac Mini and the 2012 MacBook Pro still being sold. Just put some of your damn bank balance back into the company, Apple, and don't ship junk. :mad:
Of course, as consumers, we have the option to not buy anything we feel is "junk", doesn't meet our needs or doesn't represent a good value to us, regardless of what any company chooses to produce.Of course, as consumers, we have the option to not buy anything we feel is "junk", doesn't meet our needs or doesn't represent a good value to us, regardless of what any company chooses to produce.
and 'junk' allows people who don't obsess over specs on tech sites to enter the apple ecosystem gleefully, without issue, becoming loyal customers.
i wish i could make 'junk' like this.
Unfortunately, as working in a reseller and doing aftersales support, consumers will happily spend £900 on an iMac without realising it performs worse than the equivalent model from 3 years ago. And that reflects extremely badly on the company when they realise they've wasted their money.
You're obviously dissatisfied with some Apple products. It's also obvious that the majority of buyers do not share your sentiments, or Apple wouldn't be as successful as they are. It's a fact that most computer users rarely, if ever, come close to taxing their computers to the limits of their capability, and many who buy new Macs have never owned one before, so they have nothing to compare it to. Also, many would prefer owning a Mac and running OS X over any other option, even if it means sacrificing on the upper end of performance or having to pay more.That's because Apple dish out the rhetoric about being the best, and putting the user-experience first, then cripple it with these sorts of machines that do nothing to inspire brand confidence. Even as 'low-cost' machines they still cost an absolute fortune.
If Apple don't want to make well-performing machines across their line, then maybe they shouldn't advertise themselves as being obsessed with quality and performance.
If Apple don't want to make well-performing machines across their line, then maybe they shouldn't advertise themselves as being obsessed with quality and performance.
Exactly. Apple's message and brand are only applicable to some of its products. But consumers have to learn this the hard way if they aren't the type to research beforehand, and the result is that they're left thinking Apple computers are overpriced with a rather poor user experience. It's going to be awhile before this lack of quality control really impacts the company, and then it'll be too late to turn it around.