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Apple Sets Earnings Record for Publicly Traded Companies

Step aside, Exxon Mobil.

by Dawn Chmielewski
Asa Mathat

Apple’s blowout holiday quarter wasn’t just a milestone for the technology giant — its earnings set a record for public companies, according to an analysis from Standard and Poors analyst (and resident stats guru) Howard Silverblatt.

The maker of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets reported earnings of $18 billion in its first quarter, shattering the previous high-water mark of $15.9 billion set in 2012 by Exxon Mobil Corporation.

An impressive showing, and one that left Apple with a staggering amount of cash and securities on hand — $178 billion. With that kind of money in its coffers, the company could distribute a tech bonus of $556 per person to all 320 million Americans.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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