Computer giant Apple Inc. retained the top position as the world's most valuable company, with four Chinese firms making it into the top 100, financial newspaper Barron's reported.

A list compiled by Barron's and Beta Research and confirmed by the Dow Jones Index ranked the 100 largest companies by market value.

Apple continued to hold the number one position, followed by IBM and McDonald's. Four Chinese companies, China Mobile (CMCC), China National Offshore Oil Corporation(CNOOC), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and China Construction Bank (CCB) made the list, with CMCC obtaining the highest position at number 88, CNOOC ranked 92nd on the list with ICBC at 93rd and CCB at 97th.

In other notables, Coca Cola ranked at number 8; Nestle at number 9, Disney at number 11 and American Express at number 14. Wells Fargo replaced JP Morgan to become the world's most respected bank, the report said. Also, Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota were ranked 25th and 26th respectively.

Following the death of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, investors questioned Apple's continued dominance of the consumer electronics market. However, the immense popularity of its iPhone and iPad devices has ensured that the company's share price continues to rise during the tenure of current CEO Tim Cook.

Apple's performance during last year deserved the title of the world's 'most respected company,' according to the Barron's report. Investors have judged whether or not a company is 'well respected' by a variety of factors, including commercial ethics, product innovation, income growth, stock price performance, business strategy and management ability, the report said.

From an investor's point of view, JP Morgan, Wal-Mart and Pepsi lost respect due to scandals and management mistakes, the report said.

Among the Chinese companies making the list, all dropped in rank compared to last year. According to the report, investors have recognized these companies' profitability but questioned their abilities in other fields.

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