A lot of that growth comes from broadening their customer base outside the Western world (Apple's largest market is China, not the US) and through leverage (the

A lot of that growth comes from broadening their customer base outside the Western world (Apple's largest market is China, not the US) and through leverage (the interest rates are near 0%, in Sweden it's even negative, so it's good times to borrow money). And, some sectors are also showing growth because the middle class is becoming more narrow in the West. Budget chains like Wal Mart are going strong and luxury brands too, it's the middle class restaurants and retail stores (Game Stop is a good example of a middle class retailer) that are taking a big pounding right now. So, a lot of growth is just market shifts while the previous caterers to the middle class are leveraging to stay afloat.