Apple Jumps up in World Rankings Per Fortune

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://theappleblog.com/2009/07/10/apple-climbs-to-middle-of-the-pack-in-fortune-global-500-list/' target='_blank'>http://theappleblog.com/2009/07/10/...lobal-500-list/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Once a year, Fortune releases its ranking of the top 500 global companies, and in recent years Apple has usually managed to nab a spot. This year, it rose to almost exactly the middle of the field at 253, up from 337 last year."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1247589637.usr105634.jpg" /></em></p><p><em>This is a global list, thus the name, and ranks companies based on revenue. Over the last two years Apple has moved up from 492 in 2006, when they first appeared on the list, to number 253 for 2008. Apple had a 38% increase in profits during the same time frame, and was one of three computer manufacturers that actually posted gains from the list (Quanta and HP were the other two). They would rank higher if they based the list on profits but they only take into account total revenue. Apple was ranked 71 on the top 100 list Fortune posted in April, which is comprised of only American companies.&nbsp;</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[iPhone Fan]

When are the numbers not the numbers? When some companies are deferring revenues. Take Apple’s iPhone for example. They sell one, they get either $200 or $300 from the consumer, and they also get about $360 from AT&T. When it gets averaged out, they get about $600 for each and every iPhone they sell. And, yet, rather than count $600 in sales, they only count 1/8th of that amount, about $75, and defer the rest, $525 into future quarters. Sure, in a few more quarters, as iPhone sales stabilize, the amount deferred from previous quarters, will make up for the amount deferred in the current quarter, but it hasn’t yet, and it’s a very large number.

GAAP reported revenues are $32.4B, while the real sales are $38B