Apple places second on the 12th Annual Tech 100 List (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/special_reports/20100520tech_100.htm) by “Bloomberg Businessweek,” which ranks the top performing companies in the tech industry.

BYD — a Chinese maker of cars, batteries, electronics, and solar power equipment — earns the No. 1 spot on the list. Following Apple in the Top 10 are: Tencent Holdings, Amazon, Tata Consultancy, Priceline.com, CenturyLink, Cognizant Technology, Infosys Tech and Softbank.

To compile the Tech 100, “Bloomberg Businessweek” started with 6,500 tech companies. Requirements were set: a minimum market cap of US$1 billion, revenues of at least $500 million, and no more than a 5 percent decline in revenues (in local currency) from 2008 to 2009. Revenues and operating income were then normalized to compare the remaining 210 companies, and they were ranked based on these metrics as well as shareholder return and employee growth, with 1 being, as you might expect, the top ranking. Adding them all up, the companies with the lowest-weighted rankings made the list.

According to “Bloomberg Businessweek,” Apple has annual revenue of $42.90 billion, revenue growth of 14%, and 107% shareholder return.