For the past six years, Fortune made Apple its Most Admired Company. Sure enough, the Cupertino, California company has (again) topped the publication’s annual Most Admired list, for the seventh year in a row now.
Given that Fortune collects votes from high-ranked executives and analysts in the nation’s largest companies, it’s safe to say that Apple still shines brightest in the eyes of its peers.
Amazon and Google are respectively #2 and #3, having switched places from their 2012 rankings. Other tech giants are far behind Apple, Amazon and Google. For instance, Samsung registers at #21 and IBM is sixteenth. Facebook? 38th. Microsoft is sitting at the 24th place and Intel is #47…
Philip Elmer-DeWitt, writing for Fortune:
You wouldn’t know it from the relentlessly skeptical commentary on CNBC, the Pulitzer-prize-winning series in the New York Times, or the measly 12 times earnings Wall Street pays for its stock, but Apple is widely respected by people in the business.
Writer Erika Fray explained why Apple was the Most Admired company in 2013:
The iconic tech company known for the iPhone and other stylish and user-friendly products is back in the top spot on this year’s list, for the seventh year in a row.
Apple, the most valuable brand on the planet according to Interbrand, brought in $171 billion in revenues in FY2013 and is flush with cash, but fan boys and girls (not to mention the market) are getting antsy to see its next big product.
Bets are on a smartwatch or AppleTV, but the company is also reportedly turning its attention to cars and medical devices.
Apple is followed by #2 Amazon.com, which moved up from the third place the year before. Google was #3, a drop from its second-best ranking in 2012. Berkshire Hathaway and Starbucks round out the top five Most Admired U.S. corporations.
Here’s a chart.
Summing up, Android may be leading the charge in terms of device activations, but Apple still rules user engagement as its iOS continues to foster the most vibrant app community on the plant. Plus, Apple has the most iconic handset and owns the biggest chunk of mobile industry’s profits.
That Apple’s peers continue to look up to the company can only be a bonus.