Apple’s new iPhone 6 may have done more than just reaching record sales. According to a new report, the U.S. company is back on the top of world’s most valuable brands list. Moreover, it is predicted that Apple may soon become the world’s first $1 trillion company.
Interbrand’s annual Best Global Brand report places Apple Inc. on the top spot. The U.S. technology company’s worth is estimated at $119 billion and its stock market valuation at the moment is around $591 billion. That not only makes it the largest corporation on the stock market, but also the most valuable brand in the world in 2014.
Earlier this year, a similar ranking by BrandZ listed Google as the world’s most valuable brand, followed by Apple. But according to Interbrand’s new research, Apple’s value has jumped by 21% in just one year. This increase is greatly attributed to the company’s buzz surrounding its big product releases, like iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple Pay and, of course, the Apple Watch. The tech giant has showed that it can offer consumers more than ever before and that it is capable to stay ahead of the competition.
Some, however, believe that Apple Inc. has an even greater potential. Just a few days ago, Brian White, a Wall Street analyst, made a prediction that Apple will become the first $1 trillion company in the world. He states that in just 12 months, a single share value could reach the impressive $1,000. If that happens, Apple’s worth would jump over $1 trillion. Such an opinion may sound bold and hard to achieve, but if the company releases new iPad devices later this year and an iTV, that will easy push it closer to the $1 trillion milestone.
Google is second on the latest Best Global Brands ranking. Even though the company saw a jump of 15% is value of $107.4 billion cannot match that of Apple. Nevertheless, these two companies are the only ones on the list with a value estimated at over $100 billion each.
Coca Cola is third with a rise of 3% and a value of over $81.5 billion. Microsoft Corp. also witnessed a 3% jump and landed on the 5th spot. The only two companies in the top 10 that witnessed a decline are IBM and General Electric. IBM’s value fell by 8% to $72.2 billion, whereas that of GE decreased by 3% hitting almost $45.9 billion.
The top riser on the ranking is Facebook. The value of the brand is now estimated at $14.3 billion. That is a leap of 86%, allowing the company to climb tothe 29th position on Interbrand’s list. Audi (45) made the second most impressive jump this year with a rise of 27%. The world’s biggest online retailer Amazon (15) comes third with a 25% improvement and brand value of nearly $29.5 billion.
There are also some new entries on the ranking. DHL debuts on the 81st position with value of 5 billion. Land Rover appears on the 91st spot, followed by another new-comer – FedEx (92).
The most dramatic declines were seen by Nokia and Nintendo. The value of the Nokia brand dropped by 44% to barely $4.14 billion, where as that of Nintendo fell by 33% to a little over $4.1 billion.
Best global brands in 2014:
- Apple
- Coca Cola
- IBM
- Microsoft
- General Electric (GE)
- Samsung
- Toyota
- McDonald’s
- Mercedes-Benz
