APPLE Inc has the best image of any American company, scoring a record high in a new reputation study, while financial institutions filled the ranks of the worst.

Apple, co-founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, vaulted to No. 1 in Harris Interactive's annual public opinion poll on corporate brands. The California-based company raced past last year's brand champ in the poll, Google Inc.

Banks and other Wall Street institutions, meanwhile, plummeted to alarmingly low levels in the survey released yesterday. AIG ranks last in the research company's survey, falling behind Goldman Sachs and Bank of America .

Apple and Google have emerged as top American brands as the technology sector is distinguishing itself as the only industry with a mostly positive reputation. Harris has found that tech companies have been consistently associated with strong vision, innovation and leadership over the past five years.

Tech is shining as the broader reputation of US companies is sinking. Sixty percent of those polled say Corporate America's image got worse over the past year, while only 9 percent thought it improved.

Coca-Cola Co, Amazon.com Inc and Kraft Foods Inc rounded out the top five slots in the survey, which relied on responses from 12,961 people surveyed online in December. Respondents evaluated companies on six qualities: leadership, financial performance, workplace environment, social responsibility, emotional appeal and the quality of products and services.