NEW YORK: A company's corporate reputation is worth 26% of its market cap, according to a study released this week by Echo Research and Reputation Dividend.

Apple has the most potent corporate reputation, worth 58% of its shareholder value, according to the study. The reputations of ExxonMobil and Chevron followed in the rankings, at 56% of shareholder value each. Companies with the least valuable reputations included Best Buy, Sara Lee, and Sears Holdings.

“There's a lot of money tied up ...