Apple Inc. retakes title as world's most valuable company following strong July

Posted:
in AAPL Investors edited January 2014
Apple on Thursday once again became the most valuable company in the world by market capitalization, pushing past Exxon Mobil as rumors of next-generation iPhones and iPads continue to heat up.

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Apple's market cap was around $414 billion during trading on Thursday, with the company's stock up as high as $456.80 in the morning session. Exxon, meanwhile, saw shares slide more than 2 percent during the morning, sending its market cap to around $408 billion, following a disappointing earnings report.

The change made Apple, at least temporarily, once again the most valuable company in the world by market cap. It's a title the company held throughout 2012, but ceded after its stock went tumbling late in the year and through the first half of 2013.

Over the last month, shares of AAPL have surged nearly $50. However, Apple is still off about $100 from the start of 2013, and remains well below its peak north of $700 reached last September.

Exxon overtook Apple's market cap in late January of this year, amidst a continued selloff of AAPL stock. At the time, Apple was worth about $413 billion, not far from where it was as of Thursday afternoon.

After a few quarters with relatively flat growth, investors are hopeful that Apple can once again gain momentum this fall, particularly with the anticipated debuts of new iPhones and iPads. Among the products expected are a so-called "iPhone 5S," a new low-cost iPhone, a thinner and lighter fifth-generation iPad, and a second-generation iPad mini.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    Finally rumors that are working in Apple's favor
  • Reply 2 of 29


    Good for Apple. One of the few companies that is not selling "crap" products! MS, Google, Samsung, HP, Dell, etc., take note on how to do it the right way...


     


    ...i.e., great hardware with great software which creates an ecosystem that people want to buy into! Duh! :)

  • Reply 3 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    The stock will end down today on this.
  • Reply 4 of 29
    It's sad that Apple makes LESS money, gets LESS marketshare, has LESS prospects for successful products, yet people buy their stock. This is the same thing that was happening on the runup to $700. Do people not learn? Do some research before you buy the stock (or their products for that matter).

    Outdated and inferior technology/computer products (no matter how cool they look), especially when combined with the prices that Apple sells them at, is not a recipe for success.
  • Reply 5 of 29
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post



    It's sad that Apple makes LESS money, gets LESS marketshare, has LESS prospects for successful products, yet people buy their stock. This is the same thing that was happening on the runup to $700. Do people not learn? Do some research before you buy the stock (or their products for that matter).



    Outdated and inferior technology/computer products (no matter how cool they look), especially when combined with the prices that Apple sells them at, is not a recipe for success.


     


    There isn't a single statement in that entire post which is even remotely close to being true.


     


    But if it makes you feel better, go for it, I guess.

  • Reply 6 of 29
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post


     


    Looks like a new sock puppet has signed in. My guess is it's Sonysexual trying again after getting banned on the same day he/she/it logged on. AI management, take care of this now before it gets ugly again. Check the IP address.

  • Reply 7 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    [post]

    Shut up and go away, you worthless, pathetic wretch.
  • Reply 8 of 29
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    It's sad that Apple makes LESS money, gets LESS marketshare, has LESS prospects for successful products, yet people buy their stock. This is the same thing that was happening on the runup to $700. Do people not learn? Do some research before you buy the stock (or their products for that matter).

    Outdated and inferior technology/computer products (no matter how cool they look), especially when combined with the prices that Apple sells them at, is not a recipe for success.

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha … wait … that was all sarcasm right?
  • Reply 9 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post



    It's sad that Apple makes LESS money, gets LESS marketshare, has LESS prospects for successful products, yet people buy their stock. This is the same thing that was happening on the runup to $700. Do people not learn? Do some research before you buy the stock (or their products for that matter).



    Outdated and inferior technology/computer products (no matter how cool they look), especially when combined with the prices that Apple sells them at, is not a recipe for success.


    Troll harder

  • Reply 10 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AaronJ View Post


     


    There isn't a single statement in that entire post which is even remotely close to being true.


     


    But if it makes you feel better, go for it, I guess.



    Apple made 22% less profit:  http://www.france24.com/en/20130723-apple-profit-down-22-69-bn-but-tops-forecasts


    Less marketshare:  http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24108913


     


    But if it makes you feel better, you can live in a dreamworld and avoid this nasty place called reality.

  • Reply 11 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


     


    Looks like a new sock puppet has signed in. My guess is it's Sonysexual trying again after getting banned on the same day he/she/it logged on. AI management, take care of this now before it gets ugly again. Check the IP address.



    So if someone tells the truth, and you don't like it, they must be some Sony fanatic?  And have their IP address revealed?  I see.


     


    To everyone else, do some research.  All the info you could want is just a google search away.

  • Reply 12 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post


    Apple made 22% less profit:  http://www.france24.com/en/20130723-apple-profit-down-22-69-bn-but-tops-forecasts


    Less marketshare:  http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24108913


     


    But if it makes you feel better, you can live in a dreamworld and avoid this nasty place called reality.



    First line in your first link "Apple delivered better-than-expected earnings of $6.9 billion in the quarter just ended, the tech giant said Tuesday, boosting the share price of the maker of the iPhone and iPad."

  • Reply 13 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GadgetCanadaV2 View Post


    First line in your first link "Apple delivered better-than-expected earnings of $6.9 billion in the quarter just ended, the tech giant said Tuesday, boosting the share price of the maker of the iPhone and iPad."


     


    What a buffoon



    Yes, what's your point?  That Apple was expected to make less money than it did?  If your kid was expected to get a D but got a C-, would you say he got a great grade? 


     


    Read the rest of it, and you'll see that Apple made 22% less money.

  • Reply 14 of 29
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post


    Apple made 22% less profit:  http://www.france24.com/en/20130723-apple-profit-down-22-69-bn-but-tops-forecasts


    Less marketshare:  http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24108913


     


    But if it makes you feel better, you can live in a dreamworld and avoid this nasty place called reality.



     


    First, I'll address market share, the same way I always do: It's fairly meaningless.  McDonald's has a huge market share.  That doesn't mean that their "food" is any less abhorrent.  Also, market share is not really indicative of much, as there may be more phones running Android, but if you look at traffic, iOS is being used more.


     


    Second, as to margins going down last quarter, that's obvious why.  And since they sold a record number of iPhones, I would find it difficult to argue that they are failing.

  • Reply 15 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AaronJ View Post


     


    First, I'll address market share, the same way I always do: It's fairly meaningless.  McDonald's has a huge market share.  That doesn't mean that their "food" is any less abhorrent.  Also, market share is not really indicative of much, as there may be more phones running Android, but if you look at traffic, iOS is being used more.


     


    Second, as to margins going down last quarter, that's obvious why.  And since they sold a record number of iPhones, I would find it difficult to argue that they are failing.



    Ok, and why is traffic more relevant (by the way, those traffic statistics have been repeatedly shown as incorrect)?


     


    We are talking about marketshare, which, when the market is saturated (and people just repurchase something similar to what they had before), is what matters for profits looking forward, which will affect the stock price, which will matter to this article.  If you want to argue the taste of McDonald's (or taste of your phone or whatever), this has no bearing to which company is the most valuable (or will be).


     


    Market share is measured in percentages, that's why the absolute number doesn't matter.  Margins do matter, and those fell (so far, infact, that even the increase in number of iPhones sold couldn't compensate).

  • Reply 16 of 29
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post


    Ok, and why is traffic more relevant (by the way, those traffic statistics have been repeatedly shown as incorrect)?


     


    We are talking about marketshare, which, when the market is saturated (and people just repurchase something similar to what they had before), is what matters for profits looking forward, which will affect the stock price, which will matter to this article.  If you want to argue the taste of McDonald's (or taste of your phone or whatever), this has no bearing to which company is the most valuable (or will be).


     


    Market share is measured in percentages, that's why the absolute number doesn't matter.  Margins do matter, and those fell (so far, infact, that even the increase in number of iPhones sold couldn't compensate).



     


    Market share is pretty irrelevant, since it doesn't measure SALES.  I don't understand how you could not grasp this, but apparently you don't.


     


    And traffic matters because of advertising.  

  • Reply 17 of 29


    The numbers quoted are for the current quarter.  Historically, when rumors of new Apple products start to swirl, their existing sales taper off.  So, yes, this quarter they don't show the same growth as other handsets that DID have new product launches in the quarter.  Woop.  If you look at longer time periods, you'll see that for a full year, Apple is still top in the market.


     


    Their profit for the quarter is less than last year. However, this was PLANNED. Stock buybacks, dividends, purchasing companies, etc. Apple is spending the money they are making instead of just hoarding all of it into a huge pile.  This will help ensure long term growth, even though the final profit number is less.


     


    And as far as new products, rumors are starting to boil about what might be next.  Remember how little was known about the iPad until it launched?  Apple could have something really spectacular waiting around the corner for us.  It's about that time.

  • Reply 18 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AaronJ View Post


     


    Market share is pretty irrelevant, since it doesn't measure SALES.  I don't understand how you could not grasp this, but apparently you don't.


     


    And traffic matters because of advertising.  



    market share is a good indicator of future sales when (for example) the smartphone market gets saturated and doesn't grow anymore.


     


    Ok, I see your point why web traffic metrics matter.  But it has been repeatedly shown that all the metrics that show that 85% of mobile traffic comes from iDevices is completely off, as their tracking methods don't work.  Only Safari-based browsers can be accurately traced back to their origins (and all browsers on iOS are Safari-based).

  • Reply 19 of 29
    mechanicmechanic Posts: 805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post



    It's sad that Apple makes LESS money, gets LESS marketshare, has LESS prospects for successful products, yet people buy their stock. This is the same thing that was happening on the runup to $700. Do people not learn? Do some research before you buy the stock (or their products for that matter).



    Outdated and inferior technology/computer products (no matter how cool they look), especially when combined with the prices that Apple sells them at, is not a recipe for success.


    Seriously?  Please I'm laughing so hard I just hurt myself.  There is not a shred of honesty in anything you said.

  • Reply 20 of 29
    mechanicmechanic Posts: 805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NostrOdamus View Post


    Apple made 22% less profit:  http://www.france24.com/en/20130723-apple-profit-down-22-69-bn-but-tops-forecasts


    Less marketshare:  http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24108913


     


    But if it makes you feel better, you can live in a dreamworld and avoid this nasty place called reality.



    Cherry picking where apple lost market share the last quarter for your point of view does you no credit.  Apples market share also went up in the UK, Spain, and other areas in Europe for the quarters including France if you believe surveys and analysts.


     


    http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/07/29/ios-phone-share-growing-faster-than-android-in-us-uk-and-france


     


    Seams that you can cherry pick and make your own "dreamworld".

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