No. 10

No. 10

Acer

Country: Taiwan
Revenue (Millions): 14,276
Revenue Growth: 18%
Return on Equity: 14%
Shareholder Return: 3%

The popularity of netbooks has lifted Acer into a tight race with Dell for the No. 2 slot in the global PC market, behind Hewlett-Packard. The Taipei-based company, known for its bargain-basement prices, is pushing a multibrand strategy in the U.S. with its Acer, Gateway, and eMachines brands. Acer reported a 31% drop in earnings for the first three months of the year, to $60 million, but analysts are hopeful about its new laptops, which are lighter and more energy-efficient than slim machines of many rivals.