Markets
The World’s Largest 50 Companies by Revenue
Billions of dollars, 2016
World’s Largest 50 Companies by Revenue in 2016
Today’s data visualization comes from Datashown, and it compares the world’s largest companies by their 2016 revenues to really help put the size and scale of these companies into perspective.
As just one example, despite being worth more than the majority of brick and mortar retailers combined, Amazon ranks just #44 in terms of global revenue to barely crack the list.
If Amazon is a “small fry”, then what kind of massive conglomerates populate the list?
Flying Under the Radar
While familiar global oil firms and massive banks make up a good portion of the companies on the list, there are also many companies in China and Europe that are less likely to ring a bell.
Here is a primer on some of the companies that clearly rank among the world’s largest, but fly a little under the radar – especially for North Americans:
Exor
Have you heard of Exor? It was the second-largest financial company in the world in 2016 with $153 billion in revenue. This Italian investment company owns chunks of The Economist Group, Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari, Juventus F.C. – just to name a few of its holdings.
Ping An Insurance
Ping An literally means “safe and well”, and the company is China’s second-largest insurer. The company is also well-known for being an early backer of Lufax, an online P2P lending platform, which is one of the biggest fintech unicorns out there.
E-ON
E-ON is a European conglomerate based in Essen, Germany. It’s one of the world’s largest investor-owned electric utility service providers, and serves 33 million customers in over 30 countries. The company is focused on energy networks, customer solutions, and renewables. It also owns nuclear power plants in Germany, but considers that a non-core part of its business. According to Fortune, the company brought in $129 billion in revenues in 2016.
AXA
AXA is a French multinational insurance firm with business in global insurance, investment management, and other financial services. It had $129 billion in revenues in 2016.
State Grid
The second-largest company in the world is a state-owned electric utility company in China. It has a whopping 1.9 million employees, 1.1 billion customers, and revenues of $330 billion.
Other State-Owned Enterprises in China
It’s hard to keep track of all the state-owned giants in China such as State Grid – but there are many others out there that also make the list of the top companies by revenue.
Those include massive enterprises like Sinopec, China National Petroleum, ICBC, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, and China Construction Bank.
Markets
The European Stock Market: Attractive Valuations Offer Opportunities
On average, the European stock market has valuations that are nearly 50% lower than U.S. valuations. But how can you access the market?
European Stock Market: Attractive Valuations Offer Opportunities
Europe is known for some established brands, from L’Oréal to Louis Vuitton. However, the European stock market offers additional opportunities that may be lesser known.
The above infographic, sponsored by STOXX, outlines why investors may want to consider European stocks.
Attractive Valuations
Compared to most North American and Asian markets, European stocks offer lower or comparable valuations.
| Index | Price-to-Earnings Ratio | Price-to-Book Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| EURO STOXX 50 | 14.9 | 2.2 |
| STOXX Europe 600 | 14.4 | 2 |
| U.S. | 25.9 | 4.7 |
| Canada | 16.1 | 1.8 |
| Japan | 15.4 | 1.6 |
| Asia Pacific ex. China | 17.1 | 1.8 |
Data as of February 29, 2024. See graphic for full index names. Ratios based on trailing 12 month financials. The price to earnings ratio excludes companies with negative earnings.
On average, European valuations are nearly 50% lower than U.S. valuations, potentially offering an affordable entry point for investors.
Research also shows that lower price ratios have historically led to higher long-term returns.
Market Movements Not Closely Connected
Over the last decade, the European stock market had low-to-moderate correlation with North American and Asian equities.
The below chart shows correlations from February 2014 to February 2024. A value closer to zero indicates low correlation, while a value of one would indicate that two regions are moving in perfect unison.
| EURO STOXX 50 | STOXX EUROPE 600 | U.S. | Canada | Japan | Asia Pacific ex. China |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EURO STOXX 50 | 1.00 | 0.97 | 0.55 | 0.67 | 0.24 | 0.43 |
| STOXX EUROPE 600 | 1.00 | 0.56 | 0.71 | 0.28 | 0.48 | |
| U.S. | 1.00 | 0.73 | 0.12 | 0.25 | ||
| Canada | 1.00 | 0.22 | 0.40 | |||
| Japan | 1.00 | 0.88 | ||||
| Asia Pacific ex. China | 1.00 |
Data is based on daily USD returns.
European equities had relatively independent market movements from North American and Asian markets. One contributing factor could be the differing sector weights in each market. For instance, technology makes up a quarter of the U.S. market, but health care and industrials dominate the broader European market.
Ultimately, European equities can enhance portfolio diversification and have the potential to mitigate risk for investors.
Tracking the Market
For investors interested in European equities, STOXX offers a variety of flagship indices:
| Index | Description | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|
| STOXX Europe 600 | Pan-regional, broad market | €10.5T |
| STOXX Developed Europe | Pan-regional, broad-market | €9.9T |
| STOXX Europe 600 ESG-X | Pan-regional, broad market, sustainability focus | €9.7T |
| STOXX Europe 50 | Pan-regional, blue-chip | €5.1T |
| EURO STOXX 50 | Eurozone, blue-chip | €3.5T |
Data is as of February 29, 2024. Market cap is free float, which represents the shares that are readily available for public trading on stock exchanges.
The EURO STOXX 50 tracks the Eurozone’s biggest and most traded companies. It also underlies one of the world’s largest ranges of ETFs and mutual funds. As of November 2023, there were €27.3 billion in ETFs and €23.5B in mutual fund assets under management tracking the index.
“For the past 25 years, the EURO STOXX 50 has served as an accurate, reliable and tradable representation of the Eurozone equity market.”
— Axel Lomholt, General Manager at STOXX
Partnering with STOXX to Track the European Stock Market
Are you interested in European equities? STOXX can be a valuable partner:
- Comprehensive, liquid and investable ecosystem
- European heritage, global reach
- Highly sophisticated customization capabilities
- Open architecture approach to using data
- Close partnerships with clients
- Part of ISS STOXX and Deutsche Börse Group
With a full suite of indices, STOXX can help you benchmark against the European stock market.
Learn how STOXX’s European indices offer liquid and effective market access.
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