USA Today published the list of world’s 20 most profitable companies and Microsoft was ranked 10th in that list. The list was dominated by companies from energy and banking sectors. Apple and Samsung are the only two technology companies that are ahead of Microsoft in that list.
Of the 20 most profitable companies, nine are based in the United States. These include two banks, Wells Fargo (WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM); two energy companies, Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX); and two technology giants, Apple and Microsoft (MSFT). Conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) is also among the most profitable companies.
In all, four industries account for the majority of companies among the world’s most profitable. Seven companies are in the energy industry, led by Gazprom and ExxonMobil, the most of any sector. Six of the most profitable companies are banks, with four based in China, and two based in the U.S. Three telecom giants — AT&T (T), China Mobile (CHL), and Vodafone — are also among the 20 most profitable companies by normalized earnings. Finally, Apple joins Samsung Electronics and Microsoft to make up the technology companies on the list.
About Microsoft,
10. Microsoft> Net income from cont. operations: $22.1 billion> Country: United States> Industry: Systems software> Revenue: $86.8 billion
Microsoft has long been a giant in the technology industry, as well as one of its most profitable companies. The majority of Microsoft’s operating income is derived from its commercial business segments, which licenses its products to businesses, including Office for Business, Windows operating system, and its server products. Last year, across its consumer and commercial segments, Office, Windows, and server products and tools accounted for more than $58 billion of the company’s $86 billion in revenue. Going forward, however, investors are likely to look for growth from Microsoft’s phones and tablets, as well as from its cloud computing services.
Source: USA Today
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