How the mighty have fallen.
At one time, General Motorswas considered the pre-eminent US corporation, a giant among giants.
But now, on news that Goldman Sachs reduced the company's rating to "sell", GM's shares have plummeted to less than $12, the lowest level since 1955.
That means the world's largest auto maker has a stock market value of only about $7 billion. That compares with a market cap of about $56 billion in 2000, when the stock was at its all-time high of $94.62 a share.
To put that in even more perspective, GM's market value is now roughly equivalent to that of tax-preparation provider H&R Block or toy maker Mattel.
Even more humbling for the auto maker, GM's value is now:
- Half that of cosmetics company Avon
- A third of cruise operator Carnival Cruiselines
- A quarter of Internet media company Yahoo!
- A fifth of online auction house Ebay
- A sixth of retailer Home Depot
- A seventh of biotech firm Amgen's league
- An eighth of drugstore chain CVS
- A ninth of fast-food giant McDonald's
Last, but not least, GM is now 1/66th the size of fellow Dow component Exxon.