The BusinessWeek 50 Ranking
1
Apple Computer
ALL THOSE LITTLE white earbuds are a bona fide cultural phenomenon —and serious business for Apple. Booming sales of its iPod music players have propelled the Cupertino (Calif.) icon to the top of our list of the best corporate performers. Apple shows few signs of slowing down. Of the 42 million iPods sold since the line was introduced five years ago, 32 million were sold in 2005, including 14 million in a killer Christmas quarter. Apple’s profits leapt 216% in 2005 on a 66% jump in sales. Investors are still bullish, not only for what Steve Jobs has done, but also for what lies ahead. Jobs, soon to be the biggest shareholder in Walt Disney Co. thanks to its recent purchase of his Pixar Animation Studios, has inked landmark deals with TV studios and other Old Media powers. If Apple can extend its portable music dominance into the living room, its remarkable recovery might have far to run.
Company Info |
|
| 2005 Rank | 14 |
| GET MORE COMPANY INFO | AAPL |
| Market Value $ Million | 57,916.3 |
| Total Return $ Million | (1-yr.) 52.7
(3-yr.) 812.6 |
| 2005 Sales $ Billion | 16.2 |
| Sales Growth $ Million | (1-yr.) 66
(3-yr.) 40.9 |
| Long-Term Growth Est. % | 20.0 |
| Net income $ Million | 1,605.0 |
| Net Income Growth $ Million | (1-yr.) 216
(3-yr.) 318.7 |
| Net Margin %* | 9.9 |
| Return on Inv. Capital (%)* | 19.2 |
| Share Price 12-Mo. Hi/Lo | 86/33 |
| P/E Ratio | 37 |
| Industry | Technology Hardware & Equipment |
| CORPORATE WEB SITE | |
More in S&P 500 Companies Scoreboard >
*Trailing 12 months
Company data as of 2/28/06 provided by Standard & Poor's Compustat
