Markets
Ranked: The Most Valuable Brands in the World
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:
Ranking | Brand | 2020 Brand Value | YoY % Change | Country | Sector |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Amazon | $220B | 17.5% | United States | Retail |
#2 | $160B | 11.9% | United States | Tech | |
#3 | Apple | $140B | -8.5% | United States | Tech |
#4 | Microsoft | $117B | -2.1% | United States | Tech |
#5 | Samsung | $94B | 3.5% | South Korea | Tech |
#6 | ICBC | $80B | 1.2% | China | Banking |
#7 | $79B | -4.1% | United States | Media | |
#8 | Walmart | $77B | 14.2% | United States | Retail |
#9 | Ping An | $69B | 19.8% | China | Insurance |
#10 | Huawei | $65B | 4.5% | China | Tech |
#11 | Mercedes-Benz | $65B | 7.8% | Germany | Automobiles |
#12 | Verizon | $63B | -10.5% | United States | Telecoms |
#13 | China Construction Bank | $62B | -10.2% | China | Banking |
#14 | AT&T | $59B | -32% | United States | Telecoms |
#15 | Toyota | $58B | 11.1% | Japan | Automobiles |
#16 | State Grid | $57B | 11.1% | China | Utilities |
#17 | Disney | $56B | 22.7% | United States | Media |
#18 | Agricultural Bank of China | $55B | -0.7% | China | Banking |
#19 | $54B | 6.8% | China | Media | |
#20 | Bank of China | $51B | -0.7% | China | Banking |
#21 | The Home Depot | $50B | 7.3% | United States | Retail |
#22 | China Mobile | $49B | -11.9% | China | Telecoms |
#23 | Shell | $47B | 12.4% | Netherlands | Oil & Gas |
#24 | Saudi Aramco | $47B | N/A | Saudi Arabia | Oil & Gas |
#25 | Volkswagen | $45B | 7.6% | Germany | Automobiles |
#26 | YouTube | $44B | 17.5% | United States | Media |
#27 | Tencent QQ | $44B | -11.3% | China | Media |
#28 | Starbucks | $41B | 4.5% | United States | Restaurants |
#29 | Wells Fargo | $41B | 2.3% | United States | Banking |
#30 | BMW | $40B | 0.0% | Germany | Automobiles |
#31 | Deutsche Telekom | $40B | -13.6% | Germany | Telecoms |
#32 | Moutai | $39B | 29.1% | Germany | Spirits |
#33 | PetroChina | $38B | 3.3% | China | Oil & Gas |
#34 | Coca-Cola | $38B | 4.8% | United States | Soft Drinks |
#35 | Mitsubishi Group | $38B | 42.8% | Japan | Automobiles |
#36 | McDonald’s | $37B | 18.9% | United States | Restaurants |
#37 | Taobao | $37B | -20.7 | China | Retail |
#38 | NTT Group | $36B | -12.8% | Japan | Telecoms |
#39 | Bank of America | $35B | -3.6% | United States | Banking |
#40 | Nike | $35B | 7.3% | United States | Apparel |
#41 | Porsche | $33B | 15.6% | Germany | Automobiles |
#42 | Sinopec | $33B | 14.7% | China | Oil & Gas |
#43 | IBM | $33B | 1.5% | United States | Tech |
#44 | CITI | $33B | -9% | United States | Banking |
#45 | Honda | $33B | 28.6% | Japan | Automobiles |
#46 | Marlboro | $33B | -2.7% | United States | Tobacco |
#47 | Deloitte | $32B | 9.6% | United States | Commercial Services |
#48 | Chase | $31B | -13.8% | United States | Banking |
#49 | Tmall | $31B | -15.9% | China | Retail |
#50 | UPS | $29B | 0.6% | United States | Logistics |
#51 | American Express | $29B | 6.2% | United States | Commercial Services |
#52 | Xfinity | $29B | 6.4% | United States | Telecoms |
#53 | United Healthcare | $28B | -7.4% | United States | Healthcare |
#54 | Sumitomo Group | $28B | 4.5% | Japan | Mining, Iron & Steel |
#55 | Intel | $27B | -5.5% | United States | Tech |
#56 | VISA | $27B | -3% | United States | Commercial Services |
#57 | $27B | 58% | United States | Media | |
#58 | China Life | $25B | -4.4% | China | Insurance |
#59 | Accenture | $25B | -3.8% | United States | IT Services |
#60 | Allianz | $25B | 7.5% | Germany | Insurance |
#61 | CSCEC | $25B | -3.3% | China | Engineering & Construction |
#62 | PWC | $25B | -0.3% | United States | Commercial Services |
#63 | Lowe’s | $25B | 3.4% | United States | Retail |
#64 | Mitsui | $24B | 15.8% | Japan | Mining, Iron & Steel |
#65 | General Electric | $24B | -14.4% | United States | Engineering & Construction |
#66 | EY | $24B | 2.1% | United Kingdom | Commercial Services |
#67 | Oracle | $24B | -6.7% | United States | Tech |
#68 | Cisco | $24B | 7.1% | United States | Tech |
#69 | BP | $23B | 2.6% | United Kingdom | Oil & Gas |
#70 | CVS | $23B | 9.1% | United Kingdom | Retail |
#71 | Total | $23B | 8.1% | France | Oil & Gas |
#72 | FedEx | $23B | -5.1% | United States | Logistics |
#73 | Netflix | $23B | 8.4% | United States | Media |
#74 | China Merchants Bank | $23B | 1.8% | China | Banking |
#75 | JP Morgan | $23B | 15.3% | United States | Banking |
#76 | Boeing | $23B | -29% | United States | Aerospace & Defence |
#77 | Costco | $23B | 32.1% | United States | Retail |
#78 | SK Group | $22B | -17.5% | South Korea | Telecoms |
#79 | Wuliangye | $21B | 30.1% | China | Spirits |
#80 | Evergrande | $21B | 0.5% | China | Real Estate |
#81 | Nestle | $21B | 3.4% | Switzerland | Food |
#82 | Hyundai Group | $21B | -2.8% | South Korea | Automobiles |
#83 | China Telecom | $21B | -2.8% | China | Telecoms |
#84 | Siemens | $21B | -7.2% | Germany | Engineering & Construction |
#85 | TATA Group | $21B | 2.3% | India | Engineering & Construction |
#86 | Mastercard | $21B | 8.4% | United States | Commercial Services |
#87 | Bosch | $20B | -14.6% | Germany | Engineering & Construction |
#88 | IKEA | $19B | -9.4% | Sweden | Retail |
#89 | HSBC | $19B | -3.6% | United Kingdom | Banking |
#90 | Spectrum | $19B | 25% | United States | Telecoms |
#91 | Vodafone | $19B | -10.3% | United Kingdom | Telecoms |
#92 | Pepsi | $19B | 2.2% | United States | Soft Drinks |
#93 | Alibaba | $19B | 28.8% | China | Retail |
#94 | Ford | $18B | -1.4% | United States | Automobiles |
#95 | AIA | $18B | 17.3% | China | Insurance |
#96 | Orange | $18B | -13.7% | France | Telecoms |
#97 | Nissan | $18B | -4.5% | Japan | Automobiles |
#98 | Chevron | $18B | 4.7% | United States | Oil & Gas |
#99 | GUCCI | $18B | 20.2% | Italy | Apparel |
#100 | Dell Technologies | $18B | -22.9% | United States | Tech |
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.
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.
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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