Cash is Now 33% of Apple's Market Cap
Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 02:43PM Apple's (AAPL) cash and marketable securities increased up to a staggering $137 billion in the fourth quarter. Below is a chart showing Apple's cash levels since 2000.
Of course, investors should really be looking at Apple's cash as a percentage of its overall market cap, and below is a chart showing this ratio going back to 2000. With Apple's stock declining from $700 down to the mid-$400s over the last few months, its market cap has fallen by nearly $250 billion. This has pushed Apple's cash as a percentage of market cap up to 33%.
While you might think this is high, back in the early 2000s, Apple's cash as a percentage of market cap was above 50% for years. And during the financial crisis, Apple's cash got as high as 37%. Just something to be aware of as you hear all these calls for Apple to do something with its loot.
