9 Of 10 Most Valuable Brands Are U.S. Companies, According t

April 01, 2011

Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy, released its 2011 Global 500 ranking the most valuable brands across all major world markets. The United States continues to dominate the list, with 9 of the top 10, and 26 of the top 50.Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) topped the list, with a brand value estimated at $44.3 billion, just edging Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), which jumped up to second from fifth last year, at $42.8 billion.Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) dropped to third from first place, as the retailer's brand value declined 12%.Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) continued its branding success, moving up 12 places from 2010 to No. 8, while Coca Cola (NYSE:KO) dropped out of the top ten for the first time.Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD) was the only non-U.S. company in the top 10, coming in at No. 5 with a brand value of $30.6 billion. The full list can be found here: http:brandirectory.comleague_tablestableglobal_500_2011.