Yesterday, Apple's stock closed at $403.41, giving it a capitalization of a whopping $374 billion, or more than Microsoft and Intel combined! Coming after its recent record breaking Q3, it's not surprising.
Apple's latest financial gains, as pointed out by Boston.com, now put it within easy striking distance of it becoming the most valuable company in the world, a position now held by energy giant Exxon, who's market cap is now a staggering $418.36 billion. Not long ago Apple was about $80 billion shy of that, but of today it's only around $44.36 billion. If Exxon's stock, in the meantime, doesn't appreciate too much, but Apple does, then it's easy to imagine Apple replacing Exxon, an amazing feat considering that Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy a mere short 10 years ago.
Quoting Boston.com, they state that:
"Apple’s rise comes amid a reversal of fortunes for rival makers of smartphones, including Research In Motion Ltd. and Nokia Oyj, which have lost market share and fired workers.
On Monday, RIM announced that it plans to cut 2,000 jobs amid slowing sales.
In April, Nokia said it would eliminate about 7,000 jobs."
I hate to see a single person, let alone thousands of people lose their jobs, but when it comes to jobs I was completely fascinated by a television comment on the CBC, Canada's national broadcaster, that noted that even though Apple hasn't really created many new jobs in the U.S., where it employs some 49,000 people directly, and mostly in its retail sector, Apple also just happens to indirectly employ another 1,000,000 contract workers through its Asian suppliers in China, South Korea and Taiwan!
Also interesting, is the statement, also from Boston.com:
“It started with the Mac, then iPods, iPhones, and now the iPad,’’ said Giri Cherukuri, head trader for Oakbrook Investments, which manages $2.7 billion, including Apple shares. “It’s incredible.’’, and, Cherukuri added: “I don’t see too much slowing them down....’’
Wow!, considering the above statements, it really is incredible that anyone could achieve so much in such a short time, and all I will say is: "Exxon, you better watch out because here comes Apple, and if your not careful your about to lose your position as the world's most valuable.
In conclusion, as valuable as Apple is today, I can't even begin to imagine just how valuable it will be tomorrow, if reports are also true that Apple is already working on 15 and 17 inch versions of the MacBook Pro that'll be just as thin and just as light, but only a lot more powerful, then its new MacBook Air, or especially just how much more valuable it will become if its next smartphone, the iPhone 5, happens to be another runaway hit? And since that is now expected to be around September 5, we may not have that much longer to find out.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this rainy, and I mean rainy, Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Opening photo via: iEvolution.ca
0 comments:
Post a Comment