Only a bit more than a year after it passed Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT - news) as the most valuable company in technology,Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) has just become the most valuable company in the world.
As of last night, Apple was valued at a cool $337 billion, trumping the oil giant ExxonMobil at $331 billion. Other companies in the mega-cap list include:
Petrochina - $277 billion
Industrial (Mexico: ST2000.MX - news) and Commercial Bank of China - $226 billion
Nestle (BSE: NESTLE.BO - news) - $217 billion
Microsoft - $203 billion
Royal Dutch Shell - $194 billion
IBM (NYSE: IBM - news) - $194 billion
BHP Billiton (Hamburg: BHP1.HM - news) - $189 billion
Chevron (NYSE: CVX - news) - $182 billion
For Apple, this news represents an amazing turnaround. In late 2000, Apple was worth just short of $5 billion, while Exxon was worth more than $300 billion, and Microsoft sat at a value of more than $360 billion.
Indeed, just a year ago, ExxonMobil’s market cap was 50% greater than Apple’s. However, since then Apple hasn’t just continued to sell enough iPhones, at fat enough margins, to command nearly two-thirds of all mobile phone profits. It’s also released the iPad to a world skeptical of the need for what basically amounted to a larger iPhone.
The iPad doubters were wrong. As each quarter passed, and Apple obliterated estimates again and again, Wall Street proved wrong, too. Apple’s stock kept soaring, while fumbling competitors like Microsoft saw their stock stagnate.
Brushing off the market carnage
The ascent of a new stock market king comes amid Wall Street panic. Oil has slumpted, as investors feared a double-dip recession would curtail demand. That explains ExxonMobil’s recent plunge, while Apple has hung on far better than the general market during the past week’s panic.
That might not seem fair to investors. After all, Apple sells premium-priced products, which simple logic dictates should struggle in a double-dip recession. If investors are fretting over that very scenario, and sending markets crashing in the process, shouldn’t Apple be falling more than other stocks instead of swiftly rebounding ahead of the market?
Brushing off consumer fears
No, it shouldn’t. You can largely thank the unique business model of the iPhone, and smartphones in general, for that resilience. Apple sells iPhones to carriers at an average price that exceeds $650 per phone. Competitors such as HTC (Other OTC: HTCXF.PK - news) might sell their phones to carriers at a price around $450, but in the end, carriers subsidize both models — meaning they effectively eat part of the cost of the phone — and are sold at relatively similar prices.
Another economic downturn could hurt Apple’s other product lines, like Macs and iPads, which aren’t as heavily subsidised. It might even force consumers to reevaluate their pricey data plans. But on the whole, the iPhone’s driving Apple’s bottom line. It now contributes 47% of Apple’s sales, and an even greater proportion of its profits. With the iPhone holding up better than expected even as the economy sputters, Apple’s continuing growth looks like it’s in good shape.
But wait, there’s more good news!
One other area is driving Apple’s results: booming international sales. That’s a common trend, especially in technology.
Once again, analysts lowballed Apple’s ability to succeed abroad. Consumers in these markets don’t have a lot of money. In China, a new unlocked iPhone would eat up 50% of the average citizen’s annual household income. Also, while contracts that subsidise phone costs are common in developed markets, in emerging markets it’s more common for phones to be sold at their far higher actual selling price.
However, against all these obstacles, Apple has seen demand boom across the world, with the highest growth seen in developing Asian markets. Profit growth from the Asia-Pacific (KSE: 002790.KS - news) region in the last five years was an astounding 2,991%, versus just 682% for its domestic American market. Just last quarter alone, Apple was proud to brag that sales to Greater China (Chicago Options: ^RCNGTRUSD - news) had grown sixfold.
The new king to stay
So even as the market crashes around us, Apple’s growth story looks surprisingly strong. While investors might be afraid to buy Apple, based on either its sheer size or their own fear that another recession could quickly sap its growth, the company’s future looks surprisingly strong. Trading at just 14 times earnings, with plenty of growth ahead of it and $76 billion in the bank, Apple still looks like a compelling deal. The crown atop Steve Jobs’ head appears perfectly fitted.