Corporate Cash Mountain Grows Makes Apple World’s Largest Hedge Fund

According to analysis by credit rating agency Moody's, cash and liquid investments at US non-financial companies are poised to rise about 5% to $1.9 trillion at the end of 2017 -- a new record.

This cash pile is concentrated with five key holders, which together will own 35% (Apple will account for 15%) of the total, up from 32% at the end of 2016. Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Cisco Systems and Oracle are on track to hold a cumulative $679 billion in cash at the end of calendar 2017, up 16% year-on-year.

[klarman]

The cash hoarding in the tech sector as a whole is expected to take the tech sector’s portion of...