Fortune 500 Ranks Apple at 35

Apple climbed 21 positions in Fortune’s 2010 Fortune 500 list to land at number 35. The ranking positions Apple above the likes of Microsoft, Dell and Amazon.com.

The Fortune 500 is Fortune’s annual ranking of America’s largest corporations.

Apple logoApple climbs in Fortune 500 list

Apple earned its higher ranking thanks to increasing marketshare, growing revenue and higher profits, along with the ability to introduce innovative new products and move into new markets.

The company has shown an average 30 percent growth annually over the past ten years, and showed a 78.5 percent increase in revenue from 2009 to 2010. Apple also increased earnings per share in 2010 140.9 percent compared to 2009.

The top five spots in the Fortune 500 list went to Walmart, Exxon Mobile, Chevron, ConocoPhollips, and Fannie Mae. Hewlett-Packard came in at 11, AT&T at 12, Verizon at 16, and Microsoft at 38.