10 Most Respected and Admired Companies In America

Are you wondering which are the most respected and admired companies in America? Are these the companies where people would want to work, or invest or buy their products or are these the socially responsible companies? Reputation is a mix of all the above factors. It is also a concept which can differ from one person to the next. A company can be regarded highly by one but despised by another. There are certain facts or events that develop a perception towards a brand or an organization. A company can earn respect through a number of ways such as treating its employees extremely well or delivering fantastic services at an affordable price. It can also rise in people’s favors through innovative products or business models. The most powerful and admired companies have built their brands through consistently outperforming their competition over the years and creating trust in their employees’ and customers’ minds.

We present to you the list of ten most respected and admired companies in America. Though a few of these companies are not American in origin, they have a strong brand recall based on their ethical business practices, strong line of products and services and employee friendly policies. You can also find some of these companies in our 10 most conservative companies in America  and most socially responsible companies in America lists. You might also be interested in our list of 10 most hated companies in America in 2017.

We have also analysed the share performance of these companies over the last 10 years and with one or two exception, these stocks have given multi-bagger returns to shareholders. This is not a surprise given that these companies have happy employees and customers who are willing to pay a premium for their products and services. The list is based on research from the Reputation Institute, which is a leading provider of reputation-based research based in Boston and launched in 1997. The firm ranks these companies based on their performance, products/ services offered, innovation, workplace etc. and sums them up to make a RepTrak Pulse score.

10. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is regarded as one of the most valuable brands globally and has a presence in Americas, Europe, China, Japan and rest of Asia. The Cupertino, California-based company sells its products via more than 478 retail stores that it operates in seventeen countries. The technology giant has returned over 750% over the last decade, while the NASDAQ index has gained some 127%. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) also employs a capital return program for its shareholders, in which dividends form a minority part and majority is through buybacks. The company has returned about $163 billion to its shareholders in the last five years through dividends and stock buybacks. With a score of 76.6, Apple ranks 10^th in the list of companies with best reputation in 2016.

9. Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)

Sony ranks 9th in our list of 10 most respected companies in America. Sony, the second-largest consumer electronics company, is known for its high quality innovative products. The company scored an overall 76.7 by Reputation Institute. The Japanese multinational conglomerate has been one of the biggest innovators giving us the ubiquitous “Walkman” and  the “VCR”. The Company’s segments include Mobile Communications, Game & Network Services, Imaging Products & Solutions, Home Entertainment & Sound, Devices, Pictures, Music, Financial Services and All Other. Sony scored in the top ten in 10 nations. Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)’s stock has returned more than 850% since 1978.

8. Canon Inc (ADR) (NYSE:CAJ)

Canon ranks 8th in our list of 10 most respected companies in America. Though this company is also headquartered in Japan, the multinational company is regarded highly in the U.S. It needs extra effort on the part of any foreign company to build a strong reputation globally. Canon was granted third largest number of U.S. patents in 2011. The producer of digital cameras, printers, camcorders etc. has regional headquarters in America, Europe, Asia and many other leading world markets. The stock is up more than 650% since its listing in 1978. It is regarded as world’s most reputable company in 2016 by Reputation Institute with a strong score of 76.9.

7. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft ranks seventh in our list of 10 most respected companies in America. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is an American multinational company having its headquarters in Redmond, Washington and R&D facilities in various parts of the world. The company also operates regional centres and datacentres throughout the Americas, Australia, Europe, and Asia. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s stock has gained more than 100% over the last ten years. Dow Jones returned close to 60% during the same time. Microsoft is also paying regular dividends since 2003.

6. LEGO

The building block company has kept the little hands busy for almost seven decades now. Lego was acclaimed as the world’s most powerful brand by Brand Finance in 2015. The privately held group owns retail outlets in the US and Europe and sells its products in more than 130 countries. With a score of 77.4, LEGO ranks sixth in our list of 10 most respected and admired companies in America in 2016.

5. Daimler AG (OTCMKTS:DDAIF)

Daimler, a multinational automotive company headquartered in Germany ranks fifth in our list of 10 most respected and admired companies in America with an overall score of 77.7. It  is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world by unit sales. Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services are some of Daimler’s segments. The company serves markets worldwide and reported revenues of 149.5 billion euro ( in 2015. Daimler shares are up by 135% since 2003.

4. BMW

Ranking fourth on the list of most respected and admired companies in America is BMW having a score of 77.9. The parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, BMW, and Mini, BMW, is headquartered in Germany and is one of the best-selling luxury automakers in the world. The company manufactures automobiles and motorcycles and has also ventured into plug-in electric cars. Fortune Magazine said that BMW Group was one of “America’s Most Admired Companies in 2008”. BMW has been ranked in the top five most reputable companies over the past three years.

3. Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), America’s second largest multinational company, based in San Francisco Bay Area, California, scored 78.1 and ranked third in the list of most admired and respected companies in America. Alphabet has delivered great returns to investors, as its stock surged by 200% over the last decade. Google has ranked in the top 5 most reputable companies for the past three years. It was also named as the most valuable brand of 2016 by Forbes. Google is the most dominant search engine used all over the world. The brand has become prevalent that today people say “Google it” instead of search for information on the web. Though Google’s search is its main bread and butter business, the company has also invested heavily in new technology areas such as self-driving cars, Calico, Nest, and Fiber.

2. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), one of the world’s leading entertainment providers, ranks second in our list of 10 most respected and admired companies in America. Named after its entrepreneur, this multinational conglomerate is headquartered in California. The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1991. Walt Disney has cheered investors by returning more than 200% over the last decade. Though the company has a business model which needs lots of cash to expand, it still raised its dividend annually for five consecutive years and also changed the frequency of payment from yearly to half yearly. Walt Disney has been ranked in the top 5 most reputable companies for the past three years, known for its ethical business practices. The company had an Reputation Institute score of 78.2.

1. Rolex

No.1 on the list of most respected and admired companies in America is Rolex with a score of 78.4. Rolex has ranked in the top 5 most reputable companies for the past three years. The Swiss luxury watchmaker scored the highest among all top companies. The company did well in all majors categories such as products and services, performance, innovation, workplace and governance. But it scored the highest for its products and services across nations. According to the Reputation Institute’s RepTrak score, a company with scores as high as Rolex would be trusted to do the right thing, would be welcome in any local community in addition to the readiness of people to work for it and invest in it. In other words, companies like Rolex having a high reputation would drive higher support.

Disclosure: None