Qualcomm Respected On International List

San Diego's only entry on the Barron's list of most-respected firms among the nation's 100 largest public companies slipped a bit.

Qualcomm moved down five spots from last year, to number 33. Barron's asked 92 U.S. money managers to evaluate the largest companies. The San Diego-based company develops wireless technology that's used in phones and computers.

Qualcomm ranked just ahead of Anheiser-Busch and Samsung, and just behind The Royal Banks of Canada and Louis Vitton. Apple topped the list for the second year in a row.

The money managers considered several factors in ranking companies. They looked at management, business strategy, and ethical practices. They also considered a firm's competitive edge and how much money the company made. Revenue and profit wasn't the most important factor, however.

Fifty-seven percent of the managers survey either highly respected or respected Qualcomm. Only 3 percent of those polled gave the company negative marks.