The Coca-Cola Company (KO), McDonald’s Corporation (MCD): The World’s Most Valuable Brands

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently announced an enhanced stock buyback plan and dividend increase that will reward loyal shareholders with upwards of $100 billion over the next few years. It is borrowing money to fund the plan and will take on some long-term debt for the first time in many years.

It will probably be worth owning a few shares and getting on the bandwagon just to collect the juicy quarterly payouts.

Conclusion

Having a well-known brand name can be worth many billions of dollars for companies that provide great products and services and generate lots of cash. Those businesses return that value to their shareholders in the form of price appreciation, stock buybacks and dividends. The BrandZ list is a good place to start searching for the best companies.

And for those interested in obtaining the 1943 recipe for Coke from the Georgia man who claims he has it, I would instead recommend buying The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) stock. At least you know what you will be getting: rich.

Mark Morelli owns shares of Apple, International Business Machines., Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, International Business Machines., and McDonald’s.