The study carried out by QRi asks 3,000 opinion formers to rate PwC’s Global Top 100 Companies on a range of attributes in terms of the purpose of the company and the experience they deliver and produces a perception profile for each company as a result.

In perception terms, Apple is 20 Index places ahead of the second most valuable company Alphabet (the holding company for Google), at position 21. FutureBrand pointed to the name change has being detrimental to its perception.

“Corporate name changes can help or hinder perception, depending on the circumstances. Alphabet confirms that where a sector does not act as a drag on perceptions or the company has not faced an issue, such action could be ill advised. Its perception profile looks remarkably like Google’s, except weaker on every attribute. Altria is in 16^th position in the Index, compared with Philip Morris at 98^th, confirming there is something to be gained from separation where there are issues.”

Overall, tech is the most positively perceived sector, although its score remain static from 2015 and consumer services is gaining ground.

The ten most positively perceived of the 100 companies are, in order: Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, The Walt Disney Company, AbbVie, Facebook, Toyota, Amazon, Celgene Corp and Gilead Sciences.

Tom Adams, global head of strategy at FutureBrand Worldwide, said: “Apple achieves the feat of being the highest valued and most positively perceived corporate titan in the world, creating a platform for future success. Its perception fundamentals remain incredibly strong in the face of any headwinds that cause market cap fluctuations.”