Who's the Apple of the market's eye? Alphabet Inc

Last week Apple reported dismal numbers that made the market cringe in horror as the reality began to set in that current management may not have what is expected to continue its pathway from an amazing rebirth after facing a number of difficult years producing mediocre products that simply didn't catch the imagination of technology consumers. I wrote that if Apple were to remain with the current strategy they ran the risk of falling behind the curve in terms of brand and innovation.

The fact that not so long ago Apple became the world's largest listed corporation exacerbated the amount of attention drawn on it to succeed in bringing to market the same innovation it has been doing over the past decade. As much as the title brings about bragging rights, there's also a test of consistency that is coupled alongside it that must ultimately be answered.

Usually these occasions are headlined with much fanfare when one company overshadows its predecessor with commentary closely resembling that of a newly coronated monarch and rightly so as the move often marks a change in an existing trend. When Apple overtook Exxon Mobil in 2011 to become the world's largest listed company it symbolised a shift from reliance on energy as a need to fuel an economy to a more technological based system that would form an integral part of humans lives in the way they made decisions as well as simplifying miniscule tasks with the help from applications that lightened the load and made it easier to transcend the collection and distribution of data.

We've seen a continuation of that trend since Apple took over as Big Daddy however we are starting to witness an evolution of the ideological thought away from the company who created a need that hadn't been seen before to one where the consistency of innovation takes precedent as a means to measure competitiveness within the technology industry.  

Alphabet overtakes Apple to become the world's largest listed company https://t.co/4Bg4jYEBYI pic.twitter.com/5tC8It1v5P

— The Economist (@ECONdailycharts) February 3, 2016

Failure by Apple to bring any meaningful product to market that would not only raise revenues but also boost confidence in the abundance of supply of staff members capable of producing the kind of innovation expected of them now means that the tech giant has conceded its position as the world's largest corporation to long time rival Google who recently changed its listed name to Alphabet.

The move all but confirms this as the momentum built up from Alphabet in recent months has seen their stock price gradually gather enough steam to catapult to the top of the ranks. Their results went down much smoother than Apple's did even though they reported huge losses in divisions that are anticipated to keep revenues steadily climbing in years to come. It shows a mark of confidence in management who have a firm grip on what is needed to sustain this business.

Added to the fact that mobile technology is already integral in our way of living and perhaps the shine Apple once used as a selling advantage being the coolest new gadget around has lost its gleam as consumers are looking towards more usability rather than aesthetics.

I think the market recognizes that Alphabet has always been ahead of the curve and the certainty of this consistency is what will drive its competitive advantage in years ahead.