FX.co ★ Top 10 cash-rich companies

Microsoft (cash holdings - $136.6 bln)

Microsoft is a leader among the companies with the largest financial reserves. This year, the US Department of Defence signed a $10 bln contract with the corporation. According to the contract, Microsoft is set to develop a cloud-based infrastructure to store the data of the Pentagon. Among companies competing with Microsoft for the contract were Amazon, IBM, and Oracle. However, Microsoft was the one to win the competition to get the agreement. This defence deal can open new horizons for Microsoft.

Berkshire Hathaway (cash holdings - $128.2 bln)

Berkshire Hathaway is ranked second among cash-rich companies. It belongs to one of the most successful investors, Warren Buffett. The company bought Japanese government bonds worth 430 bln yen in September 2019. As a result, Berkshire Hathaway’s income from placing the bonds was 1.7 trillion yen ($16 bln). As a result, the overall profit of the company has significantly increased.

Alphabet (cash holdings - $121.2 bln)

The third place goes to Alphabet. Earlier, the information about possible purchase of Fitbit contributed to the growth of the Alphabet’s quotes. According to an undisclosed source, Google and Alphabet were negotiating with Fitbit executives over buying the company. However, the deal fell through. Following this news, Fitbit’s shares soared more than 40%. Alphabet’s quotes also showed explosive growth.

Apple (cash holdings - $100.6 bln)

Apple is ranked fourth in the list of companies with the largest cash pile. Recently, the world’s largest producer of electronic goods committed $2.5 bln to combat housing crisis in California. According to experts, these investments will pay off in the future. Apple’s investments in the project far exceed similar initiatives of Facebook and Google.

Facebook (cash holdings - $52.3 bln)

Facebook is the fifth in the list of the cash-rich companies. It is an actively developing corporation with great opportunities. Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, tried to launch his own Libra cryptocurrency. Moreover, an unpleasant incident connected with Facebook’s data leak of user personal information had no significant impact on the company. Nevertheless, Facebook put a lot of effort to stabilize the situation.

Amazon (cash holdings - $43.7 bln)

Amazon is the sixth among the companies with the largest financial reserves. According to the report Q3 2019, the tech giant’s net profit reached $2.1 billion. However, this is 26% less compared to the same period of 2018. The outlook for Q4 2019 was less than favourable. This situation caused concerns among Amazon shareholders. In the near future, the company plans to earn some $3 bln which is much less than previously forecasted.

Ford (cash holdings - $37.5 bln)

Ford is ranked seventh in this rating. The car-maker’s net profit decreased 2.2 times to $1.719 bln for the period from January to September 2019. For the accounting period, diluted earnings per ordinary share were $0.43 compared to $0.95 from a year earlier. At the same time, Ford’s income plummeted by 2% to $116.185 bln. The company's net profit fell by 2.3 times to $425 mln in the third quarter of 2019. Ford’s quarterly revenue went down by 1.7% to $118.545 bln annually.

Oracle (cash holdings - $35.7 bln)

Oracle is ranked eighth among cash-rich companies. It is American largest software producer and the main supplier of server hardware. The company is focused on the production of database management systems, as well as business apps such as ERP and CRM systems. Oracle’s most popular product is the Oracle Database management system. This product has been produced since the foundation of the company.

Cisco (cash holdings - $33.4 bln)

Cisco, an American multinational technology conglomerate and developer of networking hardware for large companies, is ninth among corporations with the largest stockpile. One of the key features of Cisco’s business model is a structured certification network for computer network engineers. The majority of leading organizations around the world recognize importance on Cisco certificates. Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, or CCIE, designed in the company, is one of the most reliable certifications in the computer industry.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (cash holdings - $33.4 bln)

Bristol-Myers Squibb finishes the top 10 of cash-rich companies. The pharmaceutical corporation improved its position in the market after it had merged with Celgene, a biotechnological company focused on finding a cure for cancer. At the beginning of 2019, Bristol Myers Squibb released the news about its merger with Celgene. The company paid $74 billion for Celgene's assets. The share premium of the biotechnology company reached 54%.