Fortune has for the second consecutive year declared Apple the most profitable company in the world, despite coming in 9th overall in the Fortune Global 500. The rankings are based on the most recent financial year for each company.
Fortune is best known for its Fortune 500 ranking of U.S. companies, where Apple this year took the #3 slot. But the company also compiles a global list, and it’s here that Apple came in 9th in the overall rankings but #1 in profitability …
The overall rankings are based on revenue, with Walmart taking the top slot.
Walmart’s revenue was a little over $485B, while Apple earned its 9th place with $215B.
But when it comes to profits, it’s a very different story. There, Walmart is relegated to 17th place, with profits of $13.6B, while Apple took first place with $45.7B.
Apple retained its position despite its profits falling 14.4% year-on-year. It also topped Fortune’s list of the world’s most admired companies.
Apple is the largest company in the world by market cap, and has long been predicted to be the first company to be worth a trillion dollars (though not everyone agrees).