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Ranked: The Most Valuable Brands in the World

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Most Valuable Brands 2020

Ranking The World’s Most Valuable Brands

Due to its intangible nature, the power of a brand can be difficult to translate to a balance sheet. That said, a brand that truly connects with consumers and stands the test of time can deliver immense financial value.

Today’s graphic pulls data from the 2020 edition of Brand Finance’s annual Global 500 report, which ranks the world’s top brands by value using a multi-dimensional formula.

By quantifying the true value of a brand, investors and key decision makers can identify value that extends beyond quarterly earnings reports.

How much are brands really worth?

A Closer Look at the Leaderboard

With 18% growth in the last year resulting in an eye-watering brand value of $220 billion, Amazon is a clear winner as the world’s most valuable brand—towering over Google and Apple’s brand valuations. As the largest online marketplace on the planet, Amazon relies on innovative technologies and investments in fast-growing sectors, such as healthcare, to create a diverse retail ecosystem.

Although tech companies command five of the top 10 spots in the ranking, brands from more traditional industries are hot on their tails.

Here are the top 100 most valuable brands according to the report:

RankingBrand2020 Brand ValueYoY % ChangeCountrySector
#1Amazon$220B17.5%United StatesRetail
#2Google$160B11.9%United StatesTech
#3Apple$140B-8.5%United StatesTech
#4Microsoft$117B-2.1%United StatesTech
#5Samsung$94B3.5%South KoreaTech
#6ICBC$80B1.2%ChinaBanking
#7Facebook$79B-4.1%United StatesMedia
#8Walmart$77B14.2%United StatesRetail
#9Ping An$69B19.8%ChinaInsurance
#10Huawei$65B4.5%ChinaTech
#11Mercedes-Benz$65B7.8%GermanyAutomobiles
#12Verizon$63B-10.5%United StatesTelecoms
#13China Construction Bank$62B-10.2%ChinaBanking
#14AT&T$59B-32%United StatesTelecoms
#15Toyota$58B11.1%JapanAutomobiles
#16State Grid$57B11.1%ChinaUtilities
#17Disney$56B22.7%United StatesMedia
#18Agricultural Bank of China$55B-0.7%ChinaBanking
#19WeChat$54B6.8%ChinaMedia
#20Bank of China$51B-0.7%ChinaBanking
#21The Home Depot$50B7.3%United StatesRetail
#22China Mobile$49B-11.9%ChinaTelecoms
#23Shell$47B12.4%NetherlandsOil & Gas
#24Saudi Aramco$47BN/ASaudi ArabiaOil & Gas
#25Volkswagen$45B7.6%GermanyAutomobiles
#26YouTube$44B17.5%United StatesMedia
#27Tencent QQ$44B-11.3%ChinaMedia
#28Starbucks$41B4.5%United StatesRestaurants
#29Wells Fargo$41B2.3%United StatesBanking
#30BMW$40B0.0%GermanyAutomobiles
#31Deutsche Telekom$40B-13.6%GermanyTelecoms
#32Moutai$39B29.1%GermanySpirits
#33PetroChina$38B3.3%ChinaOil & Gas
#34Coca-Cola$38B4.8%United StatesSoft Drinks
#35Mitsubishi Group$38B42.8%JapanAutomobiles
#36McDonald’s$37B18.9%United StatesRestaurants
#37Taobao$37B-20.7ChinaRetail
#38NTT Group$36B-12.8%JapanTelecoms
#39Bank of America$35B-3.6%United StatesBanking
#40Nike$35B7.3%United StatesApparel
#41Porsche$33B15.6%GermanyAutomobiles
#42Sinopec$33B14.7%ChinaOil & Gas
#43IBM$33B1.5%United StatesTech
#44CITI$33B-9%United StatesBanking
#45Honda$33B28.6%JapanAutomobiles
#46Marlboro$33B-2.7%United StatesTobacco
#47Deloitte$32B9.6%United StatesCommercial Services
#48Chase$31B-13.8%United StatesBanking
#49Tmall$31B-15.9%ChinaRetail
#50UPS$29B0.6%United StatesLogistics
#51American Express$29B6.2%United StatesCommercial Services
#52Xfinity$29B6.4%United StatesTelecoms
#53United Healthcare$28B-7.4%United StatesHealthcare
#54Sumitomo Group$28B4.5%JapanMining, Iron & Steel
#55Intel$27B-5.5%United StatesTech
#56VISA$27B-3%United StatesCommercial Services
#57Instagram$27B58%United StatesMedia
#58China Life$25B-4.4%ChinaInsurance
#59Accenture$25B-3.8%United StatesIT Services
#60Allianz$25B7.5%GermanyInsurance
#61CSCEC$25B-3.3%ChinaEngineering & Construction
#62PWC$25B-0.3%United StatesCommercial Services
#63Lowe’s$25B3.4%United StatesRetail
#64Mitsui$24B15.8%JapanMining, Iron & Steel
#65General Electric$24B-14.4%United StatesEngineering & Construction
#66EY$24B2.1%United KingdomCommercial Services
#67Oracle$24B-6.7%United StatesTech
#68Cisco$24B7.1%United StatesTech
#69BP$23B2.6%United KingdomOil & Gas
#70CVS$23B9.1%United KingdomRetail
#71Total$23B8.1%FranceOil & Gas
#72FedEx$23B-5.1%United StatesLogistics
#73Netflix$23B8.4%United StatesMedia
#74China Merchants Bank$23B1.8%ChinaBanking
#75JP Morgan$23B15.3%United StatesBanking
#76Boeing$23B-29%United StatesAerospace & Defence
#77Costco$23B32.1%United StatesRetail
#78SK Group$22B-17.5%South KoreaTelecoms
#79Wuliangye$21B30.1%ChinaSpirits
#80Evergrande$21B0.5%ChinaReal Estate
#81Nestle$21B3.4%SwitzerlandFood
#82Hyundai Group$21B-2.8%South KoreaAutomobiles
#83China Telecom$21B-2.8%ChinaTelecoms
#84Siemens$21B-7.2%GermanyEngineering & Construction
#85TATA Group$21B2.3%IndiaEngineering & Construction
#86Mastercard$21B8.4%United StatesCommercial Services
#87Bosch$20B-14.6%GermanyEngineering & Construction
#88IKEA$19B-9.4%SwedenRetail
#89HSBC$19B-3.6%United KingdomBanking
#90Spectrum$19B25%United StatesTelecoms
#91Vodafone$19B-10.3%United KingdomTelecoms
#92Pepsi$19B2.2%United StatesSoft Drinks
#93Alibaba$19B28.8%ChinaRetail
#94Ford$18B-1.4%United StatesAutomobiles
#95AIA$18B17.3%ChinaInsurance
#96Orange$18B-13.7%FranceTelecoms
#97Nissan$18B-4.5%JapanAutomobiles
#98Chevron$18B4.7%United StatesOil & Gas
#99GUCCI$18B20.2%ItalyApparel
#100Dell Technologies$18B-22.9%United StatesTech

American retail giant Walmart enters 2020’s top 10 ranking with an impressive brand value increase of 14% to $77.5 billion. The retailer’s recent success could be partially attributed to its growing strategic partnership with Microsoft—which currently sits in sixth place. By tapping into Microsoft’s cloud services, Walmart can now provide a digital first retail experience for its customers.

Another brand that has experienced remarkable growth is China’s leading insurance company, Ping An. With 19.8% growth, resulting in a brand value of $69 billion, the financial conglomerate’s aggressive focus on fintech R&D has garnered the company 200 million retail customers and 500 million internet users—making it one of the largest financial services companies in the world.

While the majority of the world’s most valuable brands hail from the U.S. or China, which brands lead by region?

Most Valuable Brands by Region

Not surprisingly, Amazon leads as the most valuable B2C brand across the Americas, with the exception of Latin America. Beer brand Corona, was crowned as the leader in this region, boasting a brand value of $8.1 billion.

most valuable brands supplemental

In Europe, German companies outperformed other countries, with automotive brand Mercedes-Benz holding the title for the most valuable B2C brand for that continent—despite China being its biggest market.

On the other side of the world, Samsung reigns as Asia’s most valuable B2C brand. The company owns 54% of the nascent 5G market globally, having shipped 6.7 million 5G phones in the last year alone.

A Brand Eat Brand World

Whether brands are regional or global leaders, they still face the threat of being knocked of their perch by brands experiencing significant growth.

Climbing to the Top

With an increase of 65% to $12.4 billion, Tesla is officially the fastest-growing brand in the world. Despite concerns over not being able to keep up with demand, the electric car company is expected to exceed 500,000 vehicle deliveries in 2020. Having recently posted over $7 billion of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019, the success of Tesla’s innovative models is sure to rattle the automotive brands in the ranking.

However, not everything comes down to innovation. European retailers Lidl and Aldi have seen growth of 40% and 37% respectively, and are only getting started.

After disrupting Europe’s entire supermarket industry by offering quality products at significantly lower prices, the chains now have their sights set on the U.S. market, with Aldi expected to surpass Kroger in sales.

Despite the unprecedented disruption caused by e-commerce, the popular assertion that entering digital operations brings instant success while bricks and mortar stores are doomed for extinction is being proved wrong

—David Haigh, CEO Brand Finance

In contrast, there are also well established brands that have struggled to retain brand value.

Racing to the Bottom

Chinese search engine Baidu—also known as the Google of China—recorded the largest drop in brand value, decreasing by 54% to $8.9 billion. The brand has struggled with a poor reputation and intensifying market competition. As a result, the brand’s revenues and subsequently its brand value were heavily impacted.

Boeing is a prime example of the unpredictability of brand value. As a company that once imbued trust and excellent safety standards, the brand’s value has dropped by 29% due to the recent reports of accidents that have tarnished its reputation.

The True Power of Brand

Boeing’s recent hardships reflect the volatile nature of brand value. While 244 brands in the entire ranking have increased their brand value year-over-year, another 212 have taken a hit.

Part of a brand’s purpose is to manage reputation, retain loyal customers, and generate awareness. Given that a brand is the sum of its parts, the ranking proves that an issue with any of these things could trigger a chain reaction, negatively impacting a brand’s bottom line.

So is it worth companies investing in their brand? All signs point to yes, for now.

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Markets

How Disinflation Could Affect Company Financing

History signals that after a period of slowing inflation—also known as disinflation—debt and equity issuance expands.

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Chart showing U.S. Equity Issuance Deal Value from 1980-2000. Equity Issuance goes up over time, with the 300% increase in 1983 highlighted at the end of the disinflation period.
The following content is sponsored by Citizens Commercial Banking

How Disinflation Could Affect Company Financing

The macroeconomic environment is shifting. Since the second half of 2022, the pace of U.S. inflation has been dropping.

We explore how this disinflation may affect company financing in Part 2 of our Understanding Market Trends series from Citizens.

Disinflation vs. Deflation

The last time inflation climbed above 9% and then dropped was in the early 1980’s.

Time PeriodMarch 1980-July 1983June 2022-April 2023*
Inflation at Start of Cycle14.8%9.1%
Inflation at End of Cycle2.5%4.9%

* The June 2022-April 2023 cycle is ongoing. Source: Federal Reserve. Inflation is based on the Consumer Price Index.

A decrease in the rate of inflation is known as disinflation. It differs from deflation, which is a negative inflation rate like the U.S. experienced at the end of the Global Financial Crisis in 2009.

How might slowing inflation affect the amount of debt and equity available to companies?

Looking to History

There are many factors that influence capital markets, such as technological advances, monetary policy, and regulatory changes.

With this caveat in mind, history signals that both debt and equity issuance expand after a period of disinflation.

Equity Issuance

Companies issued low levels of stock during the ‘80s disinflation period, but issuance later rose nearly 300% in 1983.

YearDeal Value
1980$2.6B
1981$5.0B
1982$3.6B
1983$13.5B
1984$2.5B
1985$12.0B
1986$24.2B
1987$24.9B
1988$16.9B
1989$12.9B
1990$13.4B
1991$45.2B
1992$50.3B
1993$95.3B
1994$63.7B
1995$79.7B
1996$108.7B
1997$106.5B
1998$97.0B
1999$142.8B
2000$156.5B

Source: Bloomberg. U.S. public equity issuance dollar volume that includes both initial and follow-on offerings and excludes convertibles.

Issuance grew quickly in the years that followed. Other factors also influenced issuance, such as the macroeconomic expansion, productivity growth, and the dotcom boom of the ‘90s.

Debt Issuance

Similarly, companies issued low debt during the ‘80s disinflation, but levels began to increase substantially in later years.

YearDeal Value Interest Rate
1980$4.5B11.4%
1981$6.7B13.9%
1982$14.5B13.0%
1983$8.1B11.1%
1984$25.7B12.5%
1985$46.4B10.6%
1986$47.1B7.7%
1987$26.4B8.4%
1988$24.7B8.9%
1989$29.9B8.5%
1990$40.2B8.6%
1991$41.6B7.9%
1992$50.0B7.0%
1993$487.8B5.9%
1994$526.4B7.1%
1995$632.7B6.6%
1996$906.0B6.4%
1997$1.3T6.4%
1998$1.8T5.3%
1999$1.8T5.7%
2000$2.8T6.0%

Source: Dealogic, Federal Reserve. Data reflects U.S. debt issuance dollar volume across several deal types including: Asset Backed Securities, U.S. Agency, Non-U.S. Agency, High Yield, Investment Grade, Government Backed, Mortgage Backed, Medium Term Notes, Covered Bonds, Preferreds, and Supranational. Interest Rate is the 10 Year Treasury Yield.

As interest rates dropped and debt capital markets matured, issuing debt became cheaper and corporations seized this opportunity.

It’s worth noting that debt issuance was also impacted by other factors, like the maturity of the high-yield debt market and growth in non-bank lenders such as hedge funds and pension funds.

Then vs. Now

Could the U.S. see levels of capital financing similar to what happened during the ‘80s disinflation? There are many economic differences between then and now.

Consider how various indicators differed 10 months into each disinflationary period.

January 1981April 2023*
Inflation Rate
Annual
11.8%4.9%
Inflation Expectations
Next 12 Months
9.5%4.5%
Interest Rate
10-Yr Treasury Yield
12.6%3.7%
Unemployment Rate
Seasonally Adjusted
7.5%3.4%
Nominal Wage Growth
Annual, Seasonally Adjusted
9.3%5.0%
After-Tax Corporate Profits
As Share of Gross Value Added
9.1%13.8%

* Data for inflation expectations and interest rate is as of May 2023, data for corporate profits is as of Q4 1980 and Q1 2023. Inflation is a year-over-year inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index. Source: Federal Reserve.

The U.S. economy is in a better position when it comes to factors like inflation, unemployment, and corporate profits. On the other hand, fears of an upcoming recession and turmoil in the banking sector have led to volatility.

What to Consider During Disinflation

Amid uncertainty in financial markets, lenders and investors may be more cautious. Companies will need to be strategic about how they approach capital financing.

  • High-quality, profitable companies could be well positioned for IPOs as investors are placing more focus on cash flow.
  • High-growth companies could face fewer options as lenders become more selective and could consider alternative forms of equity and private debt.
  • Companies with lower credit ratings could find debt more expensive as lenders charge higher rates to account for market volatility.

In uncertain times, it’s critical for businesses to work with the right advisor to find—and take advantage of—financing opportunities.

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