The Forbes Global 2000 – The World’s Leading Companies
The Forbes Global 2000 is a categorization of the largest publicly listed companies in the world. Together they employ 72 million people, own $119 trillion in assets, and generate $30 trillion in revenues annually – approximately 46% of world GDP.
The Forbes Global 2000 is a list of the most successful publicly listed companies of the world. It is compiled annually by Forbes Magazine since 2004.
In a reflection of the globalization of the world, and the growing influence of emerging markets, the footprint of the Global 200 has grown. In 2004, companies came from 51 markets, but this had grown to 60 markets by 2008.
Forbes believe that the best way to categorize companies across markets is to measure a basket of factors and define a composite score. Total sales, after-tax profits, market value and total assets are all factored into the categorization.
The collective size of these corporations beggars belief, and is growing every year. Forbes Global 2000 companies now employ 72 million people worldwide, own $119 trillion in assets, are worth $39 trillion in market cap, earn $30 trillion in revenues and $2.4 trillion in profits. To put these figures in perspective, GDP for the United States of America was $13.84 trillion in 2007 according to the CIA World Factbook. Total World GDP (or Gross World Product) is estimated at $65.61 trillion. The Forbes Global 2000 therefore control about 46% of world output.
The US still dominates the list, but its share is shrinking, with 153 fewer companies than in 2004. For the first time, the top ranking company is no longer American – that spot has been taken by the London-based HSBC, which has achieved an impressive revenue compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26% over the last five years, with earnings growing at 31% per annum. India, China and Brazil are the countries growing the fastest in their contribution. India has led this trend, with 48 companies this year compared to 27 companies in 2004.
Despite the credit crunch, the banking industry is still the largest in the Forbes Global 2000. It has 315 entries, with profits of $398 billion and assets of $58.3 trillion. The oil and gas companies lead the table for revenues of $3.76 trillion, generated by 123 companies. They accrued $386 billion in profits. With oil prices continuing to hit new highs, expect oil and gas to lead in both sales and profits in 2009.
A fascinating category of the list is the high performing companies whose growth rates outstrip their peers. On average, the 130 companies identified as global high performers are growing earnings at a 25% rate.
The Top 100 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 are as follows:
|
Rank
|
Company
|
Country
|
Industry
|
Sales
($Billion)
|
Profits
($Billion)
|
Assets
($Billion)
|
Market
Cap ($Billion)
|
|
1
|
HSBC
Holdings
|
United
Kingdom
|
Banking
|
146.5
|
19.13
|
2,348.98
|
180.81
|
|
2
|
General
Electric
|
United
States
|
Conglomerates
|
172.74
|
22.21
|
795.34
|
330.93
|
|
3
|
Bank
of America
|
United
States
|
Banking
|
119.19
|
14.98
|
1,715.75
|
176.53
|
|
4
|
JPMorgan
Chase
|
United
States
|
Banking
|
116.35
|
15.37
|
1,562.15
|
136.88
|
|
5
|
ExxonMobil
|
United
States
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
358.6
|
40.61
|
242.08
|
465.51
|
|
6
|
Royal
Dutch Shell
|
Netherlands
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
355.78
|
31.33
|
266.22
|
221.09
|
|
7
|
BP
|
United
Kingdom
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
281.03
|
20.6
|
236.08
|
204.94
|
|
8
|
Toyota
Motor
|
Japan
|
Consumer
Durables
|
203.8
|
13.99
|
276.38
|
175.08
|
|
9
|
ING
Group
|
Netherlands
|
Insurance
|
197.93
|
12.65
|
1,932.15
|
75.78
|
|
10
|
Berkshire
Hathaway
|
United
States
|
Diversified
Financials
|
118.25
|
13.21
|
273.16
|
216.65
|
|
10
|
Royal
Bank of Scotland
|
United
Kingdom
|
Banking
|
108.45
|
14.62
|
3,807.51
|
76.64
|
|
12
|
AT&T
|
United
States
|
Telecommunications
Services
|
118.93
|
11.95
|
275.64
|
210.22
|
|
13
|
BNP
Paribas
|
France
|
Banking
|
116.16
|
10.71
|
2,494.41
|
81.9
|
|
14
|
Allianz
|
Germany
|
Insurance
|
139.12
|
10.9
|
1,547.48
|
80.3
|
|
15
|
Total
|
France
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
199.74
|
19.24
|
165.75
|
181.8
|
|
16
|
Wal-Mart
Stores
|
United
States
|
Retailing
|
378.8
|
12.73
|
163.38
|
198.6
|
|
17
|
Chevron
|
United
States
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
203.97
|
18.69
|
148.79
|
179.97
|
|
18
|
American
Intl Group
|
United
States
|
Insurance
|
110.06
|
6.2
|
1,060.51
|
118.2
|
|
19
|
Gazprom
|
Russia
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
81.76
|
23.3
|
201.72
|
306.79
|
|
20
|
AXA
Group
|
France
|
Insurance
|
151.7
|
7.75
|
1,064.67
|
70.33
|
|
21
|
Banco
Santander
|
Spain
|
Banking
|
72.26
|
10.02
|
1,332.72
|
113.27
|
|
22
|
ConocoPhillips
|
United
States
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
171.5
|
11.89
|
177.76
|
129.15
|
|
23
|
Goldman
Sachs Group
|
United
States
|
Diversified
Financials
|
87.97
|
11.6
|
1,119.80
|
67.16
|
|
24
|
Citigroup
|
United
States
|
Banking
|
159.23
|
3.62
|
2,187.63
|
123.44
|
|
25
|
Barclays
|
United
Kingdom
|
Banking
|
79.7
|
8.76
|
2,432.34
|
62.43
|
|
26
|
EDF
Group
|
France
|
Utilities
|
81.6
|
7.69
|
271.66
|
170.81
|
|
27
|
E.ON
|
Germany
|
Utilities
|
94.04
|
9.86
|
200.84
|
126.22
|
|
28
|
ENI
|
Italy
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
119.27
|
13.7
|
128.15
|
127.38
|
|
29
|
Petrobras-Petróleo
Brasil
|
Brazil
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
87.52
|
11.04
|
129.98
|
236.67
|
|
30
|
PetroChina
|
China
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
88.24
|
18.21
|
111.7
|
546.14
|
|
31
|
Procter
& Gamble
|
United
States
|
FMCG
|
79.74
|
11.13
|
144.4
|
203.67
|
|
32
|
Deutsche
Bank
|
Germany
|
Diversified
Financials
|
95.5
|
7.45
|
1,485.58
|
56.27
|
|
33
|
UniCredit
Group
|
Italy
|
Banking
|
63.67
|
7.19
|
1,077.21
|
77.46
|
|
34
|
Telefónica
|
Spain
|
Telecommunications
Services
|
82.4
|
13
|
143.13
|
138.42
|
|
35
|
Mitsubishi
UFJ Financial
|
Japan
|
Banking
|
49.49
|
7.5
|
1,591.56
|
98.14
|
|
36
|
Volkswagen
Group
|
Germany
|
Consumer
Durables
|
149
|
5.64
|
210.88
|
90.23
|
|
37
|
IBM
|
United
States
|
Software
& Services
|
98.79
|
10.42
|
120.43
|
157.62
|
|
38
|
ArcelorMittal
|
Luxembourg
|
Materials
|
105.22
|
10.37
|
133.65
|
108.82
|
|
38
|
Daimler
|
Germany
|
Consumer
Durables
|
145.11
|
5.82
|
199.77
|
85.16
|
|
40
|
BBVA-Banco
Bilbao Vizcaya
|
Spain
|
Banking
|
54.34
|
8.94
|
733.14
|
78.29
|
|
41
|
Wells
Fargo
|
United
States
|
Banking
|
53.59
|
8.06
|
575.44
|
96.37
|
|
42
|
ICBC
|
China
|
Banking
|
37.48
|
6.31
|
961.65
|
289.57
|
|
43
|
Credit
Suisse Group
|
Switzerland
|
Diversified
Financials
|
83.72
|
7.53
|
1,194.75
|
50.85
|
|
44
|
HBOS
|
United
Kingdom
|
Banking
|
100.32
|
8.1
|
1,336.17
|
44.84
|
|
45
|
Crédit
Agricole
|
France
|
Banking
|
101.59
|
6.49
|
1,662.60
|
45.73
|
|
45
|
Nestlé
|
Switzerland
|
Food
Drink & Tobacco
|
94.76
|
9.38
|
99.06
|
188.11
|
|
47
|
Fortis
|
Netherlands
|
Diversified
Financials
|
121.19
|
5.46
|
1,020.98
|
49.04
|
|
48
|
Verizon
Communications
|
United
States
|
Telecommunications
Services
|
93.47
|
5.65
|
186.96
|
104.27
|
|
49
|
France
Telecom
|
France
|
Telecommunications
Services
|
77.31
|
9.2
|
137.09
|
87.89
|
|
50
|
Siemens
|
Germany
|
Conglomerates
|
103.2
|
5.42
|
126.72
|
118.47
|
|
50
|
Wachovia
|
United
States
|
Banking
|
55.53
|
6.31
|
782.9
|
60.69
|
|
52
|
Sinopec-China
Petroleum
|
China
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
133.79
|
6.9
|
77.44
|
186.38
|
|
53
|
Hewlett-Packard
|
United
States
|
Technology
Hardware & Equip
|
107.67
|
7.85
|
88.57
|
122.04
|
|
54
|
Lloyds
TSB Group
|
United
Kingdom
|
Banking
|
58.74
|
6.53
|
701.08
|
50.95
|
|
55
|
Royal
Bank of Canada
|
Canada
|
Banking
|
43.57
|
5.77
|
629.96
|
64.41
|
|
56
|
Bank
of China
|
China
|
Banking
|
31.13
|
5.49
|
679.57
|
171.45
|
|
57
|
Pfizer
|
United
States
|
Drugs
& Biotechnology
|
48.42
|
8.14
|
115.27
|
152.17
|
|
58
|
Johnson
& Johnson
|
United
States
|
Drugs
& Biotechnology
|
61.1
|
10.58
|
80.95
|
175.51
|
|
59
|
Samsung
Electronics
|
South
Korea
|
Semiconductors
|
92.26
|
8.56
|
87.49
|
87.84
|
|
60
|
StatoilHydro
|
Norway
|
Oil
& Gas Operations
|
89
|
7.52
|
89.16
|
98.36
|
|
61
|
Generali
Group
|
Italy
|
Insurance
|
102.16
|
3.17
|
486.43
|
60.79
|
|
62
|
CCB-China
Construction Bank
|
China
|
Banking
|
29.16
|
5.93
|
697.44
|
126.55
|
|
63
|
Microsoft
|
United
States
|
Software
& Services
|
57.9
|
16.96
|
67.34
|
253.15
|
|
64
|
Suez
Group
|
France
|
Utilities
|
64.96
|
5.37
|
114.89
|
83.56
|
|
65
|
Zurich
Financial Services
|
Switzerland
|
Insurance
|
55.05
|
5.63
|
387.67
|
45.76
|
|
66
|
Nippon
Telegraph & Tel
|
Japan
|
Telecommunications
Services
|
91.57
|
4.06
|
149.71
|
60.27
|
|
67
|
Sanofi-aventis
|
France
|
Drugs
& Biotechnology
|
40.95
|
7.68
|
104.98
|
101.17
|
|
68
|
Honda
Motor
|
Japan
|
Consumer
Durables
|
94.35
|
5.04
|
101.82
|
56.82
|
|
69
|
Nokia
|
Finland
|
Technology
Hardware & Equip
|
74.54
|
10.52
|
52.62
|
145.66
|
|
70
|
Munich
Re
|
Germany
|
Insurance
|
67.57
|
5.63
|
306.03
|
37.34
|
|
71
|
Mizuho
Financial
|
| | |