Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is the best company in the world to work with, according to human resources consultancy Great Place to Work Institute, which made a list of 25 such companies. Second to Google is the software developer SAS Institute, and in third place was network storage provider NetApp.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) sits at the fourth place among top 25 companies.
No Asian firms in top 25
None of the Asian companies could make it to the top 25, whereas nine top firms out of top 10 are from the United States. Diageo, located in the UK, was the only non-U.S. company in the top 10.
This year, more than 6,000 companies from 45 different countries all over the world participated in the national Best Companies list competitions.
“The 25 companies on the 2013 World’s Best Multinational Workplaces list set a high standard for us all. Their outstanding achievement builds a better society by creating great workplaces,” it said.
These companies have 11.9 million employees in total. Top 25 names were selected after looking into more than 1,000 corporations. Also, they hold the rank in at least 5 national Best Workplaces lists along with a headcount of at least 5000 employees all over the world, and approximately 40% of the employees are based outside the country.
Others in the list
W L Gore & Associates came in 5th on the list while personal and household goods maker Kimberly Clark Corp (NYSE:KMB) was 6th, followed by hospitality giant Marriott at 7th, Diageo at 8th, National Instruments and IT company Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) at 9th and 10th respectively.
Others in the top 25 were Autodesk at the 11th place, Monsanto at 12th, BBVA was 13th. Next in line was American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) followed by Hilti at 15th, Telefonica at 16th. Accor was 17th, Quintiles (18th), SC Johnson (19th), FedEx Express (20th), Atento (21st), Mars (22nd), McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) (23rd), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) (24th) and Novartis AG (ADR)(NYSE:NVS) (25th).
Analysts upbeat on Google
Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald have raised the price target of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) from $1,000 to $1,175.00, in a note issued last week. Goldman Sachs analysts maintained their Neutral rating on Google in a research note to investors last week, and assigned a price target of $1,060.00 from $950.00. Separately, Wedbush analysts have maintained a Neutral rating on Google and assigned a price target of $980.00, up from $860.00. Zacks analysts also kept a Neutral rating in a research note to investors, and assigned a price target of $933.00.
Overall, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $1,034.74.