The Most Hated Company In America.

Apple.  No matter that it is hugely profitable.  No matter that it pays a dividend to shareholders.  No matter that its retail chain employs thousands of Americans.  No matter that it has about $160,000,000,000 in its cash bank account.  No matter that it makes a product that seems to be universal from homeless people to corporate biggies.

Original Max and Leo

Yet the company is treated like a Bialystok and Bloom musical.  Daily rumors about the iWatch being delayed or maybe canceled.  Peak speculation about when the iPhone 6 will be for sale, will it be early September or late.  Speculation about just about everything the company does.

Why?  Apple suffers from the Pedestal Effect.  When someone or something is at the top of its class, the media like to tear it down.  And that's the way it is.

Example:  Remember the hysteria about the Amazon FIRE phone, the iPhone-killer?  Here's a news item today from yahoo news: How is Amazon's first smartphone seling?  According to an estimate at the Guardian, not well.  Combining various estimates there is an upper limit of 35,000 Fire Phones sold and in current usage. (As last count, there were more than 300,000,000 iPhones out there.)