Apple Corporation became the most expensive company in the history of the stock market. The company’s market value hit the high of $700 billion, which is more than the Swiss GDP. Moreover, some people think that the company’s potential is underestimated. For example, investor Carl Icahn supposes that Apple Corporation costs more than $1billion and the company’s shares should trade at $216 for a share, which corresponds with the real capitalization of around $1.26 billion. Other portfolio managers do not deny such prospects, however they think that it will take two or three years. Cash reserves are another indicator of secondary importance, though it’s not so impressive, but still gives great possibilities. Free cash of $178 billion allows the owners to buy practically everything: from a startup project to financing a program of their own shares purchase. In theory, Apple is able to absorb the largest US companies as the volume of free cash is higher than the capitalization practically of all companies, included in S&P500. Only 17 corporations can resist Timothy Cook’s company. The company has enough money to purchase all Visa shares, which cost $158 billion, Disney shares, the price of which is $161 billion, and Intel shares worth $173 billion. Amazon, Yahoo!, and Comcast can be purchased in the lump without getting in debts. It should be noted that at the beginning of the 2000 Apple was at the edge of financial crisis, but the ability to retain its place at the top of the world technology market helped it to achieve record growth in market value.
