Ever since Apple and other Big Tech companies hit a market capitalization of $1 trillion, many sectors are revving to follow suit—including the automotive industry.

But among those car brands racing to reach this total valuation, some are closer to the finish line than others. This visualization uses data from Yahoo Finance to rank the world’s top car manufacturers by market capitalization.

What could this spell for the future of the automotive industry?

The World’s Top Car Manufacturers

It’s clear one company is pulling far ahead of the pack. In the competition to clinch this coveted title, Tesla is the undoubted favorite so far.

The electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy company first became the world’s most valuable car manufacturer in June 2020, and shows no signs of slowing its trajectory. Tesla’s competitive advantage comes as a result of its dedicated emphasis on research and development (R&D). In fact, many of its rivals have admitted that Tesla’s electronics far surpass their own—a teardown revealed that its batteries and AI chips are roughly six years ahead of other industry giants such as Toyota and Volkswagen. CLICK to view infographic

“The policies of the government in power, and the proclivities of the current prime minister, are not particularly oriented towards the hard work of generating economic growth, and that can make things difficult for the Department of Finance.”
David Dodge, Former head of the Bank of Canada

“There is nothing quite so fanatical as an American telling you what he believes you should believe.”

Well… that was an interesting afternoon..

As bloody revolutions go… aside from one regrettable death; the Storming of the Capitol was a bit of damp squib. It didn’t pass muster as a coup, and wasn’t even a very convincing insurrection. But, it will go down in history as the day the Republican Party woke up – and that’s probably a darn good thing for everybody. It was, hopefully, the day Americans saw Donald Trump for what he uselessly is.

That’s the way markets are thinking – looking past the bluster they see it as positive for reflation, stocks and anticipating growth as Treasuries rose. After Georgia and Confirmation, Joe Biden will be the next president with a working mandate and majority to get things done. Yay! Finally…

There will be further increases in budget spending – which will be required in the face of the second pandemic threat. There will be regulation of big tech – but that won’t undo the ongoing tech revolution which will continue to deliver stellar returns and make our lives better and different. Biden’s new administration will have massive challenges to address – not least in the infrastructure promises Trump failed to deliver, but in terms of stopping the social decay blighting the urban hubs in California, New York and Chicago. Education, Wealth and Equality will be brought to the fore. There will be much talk about taxing the rich – which is not a bad idea… Rebuilding trust in politics will be a massive ask…CLICK for complete article

The Democrats are on the verge of winning the two Georgia Senate elections, according to news agencies as multiple sources have called the race for Raphael Warnock while Decision Desk HQ has called the race for Ossoff.

With these victories, Democrats would gain full control of Congress and the White House, which Goldman writes would “lead to greater fiscal stimulus in the near-term. Later in 2021, we would expect incremental increases in taxes to finance similar amounts of new spending, though both would be a fraction of what the Biden campaign proposed.” This means that, at least for the next two years, the US is set to descend into that circle of monetary hell reserved for nations which openly engage in helicopter money (everyone knows what happens after).

In addition, BofA adds that Dems will have control over the Presidential appointment confirmations– including appointments to regulatory positions, cabinet and judicial positions. But perhaps most importantly for markets, the Dem sweep clears the way for the use of reconciliation to set spending and tax levels without threat of filibuster. CLICK for complete article