Comparisons to Apple's Net Worth 'Getting Out of Hand'

[Michael Essany]

In recent days, as Apple's surging stock price has helped drive the company's market cap to an astounding half-trillion dollars, some lofty comparisons have been made in order to convey just how valuable the company has actually become.

Just this week, in fact, CNN and others have reported things like "Apple now worth more than Poland" - that is, the European nation of Poland is now worth less than the iPhone maker. Here's how the U.K. Register put it:

Following an email announcing the iPad 3 launch, Apple’s share value hit an unprecedented $500bn in pre-marketing trading this morning, making the company worth more than Poland and many other things.

The only problem with that argument... is that it's false.

"$500 billion is Apple's market cap, the entire value of all its parts as judged by the market," explains Joe Weisenthal of SAI. "True, that's bigger than the GDP of Poland, but it's a false equivalence, because the GDP is just one year's worth of national output for the country."

A better measure of Apple's "GDP," he says, might be its annual sales. In 2011, that was $127 billion - much less than Poland's GDP. Of course, if you still want to place Apple's value on pace with that of an entire country, let's go with Qatar, which has a GDP roughly comparable to Apple's annual receipts.

But Poland? No.

Sources: Forbes, SIA

[steve-z17]

Sure it may not be correct but it's fun to almost be able to compare the two together, a country and a company lol!

[KraXik]

This deserved an article?!

[GooseG]

This deserved an article?!

Yes. On MMi, if Tim Cooks son hits puberty it will be an article. If Tom Cruise starts as an iPhone packer it will be an article. If the iPad 3 production line makes one extra iPad it will be an article. Get used to it.

[idkanymore]

Still pretty ridiculous!

[luketinsley]

Yes. On MMi, if Tim Cooks son hits puberty it will be an article. If Tom Cruise starts as an iPhone packer it will be an article. If the iPad 3 production line makes one extra iPad it will be an article. Get used to it.

If you don't like it get the hell off their site.

[Airwaves182]

Yes. On MMi, if Tim Cooks son hits puberty it will be an article. If Tom Cruise starts as an iPhone packer it will be an article. If the iPad 3 production line makes one extra iPad it will be an article. Get used to it.

+1

[Cheesey123]

Yes. On MMi, if Tim Cooks son hits puberty it will be an article. If Tom Cruise starts as an iPhone packer it will be an article. If the iPad 3 production line makes one extra iPad it will be an article. Get used to it.

(cough) you mean Tom cruise isn't an iphone packer? Well you learn something new everyday I wouldn't have guessed that, :0p

[dhamien]

This deserved an article?!

Yes. On MMi, if Tim Cooks son hits puberty it will be an article. If Tom Cruise starts as an iPhone packer it will be an article. If the iPad 3 production line makes one extra iPad it will be an article. Get used to it.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but you can simply skip the articles you don't want to read.

[manickbarry]

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but you can simply skip the articles you don't want to read.

Well said

[DnBKiD521]

Effin trolls .. Go whine somewhere else. U sound like my frickin girlfriend. If u don't like what the hardworking mmi staff post articles on, go make your own iDevice site! Then u can post whatever the hell u want. U under-endowed, microscopic testicled n00bs!

[idkanymore]

Effin trolls .. Go whine somewhere else. U sound like my frickin girlfriend. If u don't like what the hardworking mmi staff post articles on, go make your own iDevice site! Then u can post whatever the hell u want. U under-endowed, microscopic testicled n00bs!

NERD RAGE! lol

[hapishyguy]

New like these create unnecessary hype about apple.

[GooseG]

If you don't like it get the hell off their site.

I didn't say I didn't. I simply responded to someone else's comment with a humorous observation.