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The Biggest Companies in the World in 2021

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Biggest Companies in the World by Market Cap

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The Biggest Companies in the World

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Since the COVID-19 crash, global equity markets have seen a strong recovery. The 100 biggest companies in the world were worth a record-breaking $31.7 trillion as of March 31 2021, up 48% year-over-year. As a point of comparison, the combined GDP of the U.S. and China was $35.7 trillion in 2020.

In today’s graphic, we use PwC data to show the world’s biggest businesses by market capitalization, as well as the countries and sectors they are from.

The Top 100, Ranked

PwC ranked the largest publicly-traded companies by their market capitalization in U.S. dollars. It’s also worth noting that sector classification is based on the FTSE Russell Industry Classification Benchmark, and a company’s location is based on where its headquarters are located.

Here is the top 100 ranking of the biggest companies in the world, organized from the biggest to the smallest.

RankCompany nameLocationSectorMarket Capitalization
1APPLE INC🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$2.1T
2SAUDI ARAMCO🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaEnergy$1.9T
3MICROSOFT CORP🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$1.8T
4AMAZON.COM INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$1.6T
5ALPHABET INC🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$1.4T
6FACEBOOK INC🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$839B
7TENCENT🇨🇳 ChinaTechnology$753B
8TESLA INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$641B
9ALIBABA GRP🇨🇳 ChinaConsumer Discretionary$615B
10BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY🇺🇸 United StatesFinancials$588B
11TSMC🇹🇼 TaiwanTechnology$534B
12VISA INC🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$468B
13JPMORGAN CHASE🇺🇸 United StatesFinancials$465B
14JOHNSON & JOHNSON🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$433B
15SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS🇰🇷 South KoreaTechnology$431B
16KWEICHOW MOUTA🇨🇳 ChinaConsumer Staples$385B
17WALMART INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$383B
18MASTERCARD INC🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$354B
19UNITEDHEALTH GRP🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$352B
20LVMH MOET HENNESSY🇫🇷 FranceConsumer Discretionary$337B
21WALT DISNEY CO🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$335B
22BANK OF AMERICA🇺🇸 United StatesFinancials$334B
23PROCTER & GAMBLE🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Staples$333B
24NVIDIA CORP🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$331B
25HOME DEPOT INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$329B
26NESTLE SA🇨🇭 SwitzerlandConsumer Staples$322B
27IND & COMM BK🇨🇳 ChinaFinancials$290B
28PAYPAL HOLDINGS🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$284B
29ROCHE HOLDING🇨🇭 SwitzerlandHealth Care$283B
30INTEL CORP🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$261B
31ASML HOLDING NV🇳🇱 NetherlandsTechnology$255B
32TOYOTA MOTOR🇯🇵 JapanConsumer Discretionary$254B
33COMCAST CORP🇺🇸 United StatesTelecommunications$248B
34VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS🇺🇸 United StatesTelecommunications$241B
35EXXON MOBIL CORP🇺🇸 United StatesEnergy$236B
36NETFLIX INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$231B
37ADOBE INC🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$228B
38COCA-COLA CO🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Staples$227B
39MEITUAN🇨🇳 ChinaTechnology$226B
40PING AN🇨🇳 ChinaFinancials$219B
41CISCO SYSTEMS🇺🇸 United StatesTelecommunications$218B
42AT&T INC🇺🇸 United StatesFinancials$216B
43L'OREAL🇫🇷 FranceConsumer Discretionary$215B
44CHINA CONSTRUCTION
BANK
🇨🇳 ChinaFinancials$213B
45ABBOTT LABS🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$212B
46NOVARTIS AG🇨🇭 SwitzerlandHealth Care$212B
47NIKE INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$209B
48ORACLE CORP🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$202B
49PFIZER INC🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$202B
50CHEVRON CORP🇺🇸 United StatesOil & Gas$202B
51CHINA MERCH🇨🇳 ChinaFinancials$196B
52PEPSICO INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Staples$195B
53SALESFORCE.COM🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$195B
54MERCK & CO🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$195B
55ABBVIE INC🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$191B
56BROADCOM INC🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$189B
57PROSUS NV🇳🇱 NetherlandsTechnology$181B
58RELIANCE INDS🇮🇳 IndiaEnergy$180B
59THERMO FISHER🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$180B
60ELI LILLY & CO🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$179B
61AGRICULTURAL BANK OF
CHINA
🇨🇳 ChinaFinancials$178B
62SOFTBANK GROUP🇯🇵 JapanTelecommunications$176B
63ACCENTURE PLC🇮🇪 IrelandIndustrials$176B
64TEXAS INSTRUMENT🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$174B
65MCDONALDS CORP🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$167B
66VOLKSWAGEN AG🇩🇪 GermanyConsumer Discretionary$165B
67BHP GROUP LTD🇦🇺 AustraliaBasic Materials$163B
68WELLS FARGO & CO🇺🇸 United StatesFinancials$162B
69TATA CONSULTANCY🇮🇳 IndiaTechnology$161B
70DANAHER CORP🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$160B
71NOVO NORDISK🇩🇰 DenmarkHealth Care$160B
72MEDTRONIC PLC🇮🇪 IrelandHealth Care$159B
73WULIANGYE YIBI🇨🇳 ChinaConsumer Staples$159B
74COSTCO WHOLESALE🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$156B
75T-MOBILE US INC🇺🇸 United StatesTelecommunications$156B
76CITIGROUP INC🇺🇸 United StatesFinancials$152B
77HONEYWELL INTL🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$151B
78QUALCOMM INC🇺🇸 United StatesTechnology$151B
79SAP SE🇩🇪 GermanyTechnology$151B
80BOEING CO🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$149B
81ROYAL DUTCH SHELL🇳🇱 NetherlandsOil & Gas$148B
82NEXTERA ENERGY🇺🇸 United StatesUtilities$148B
83UNITED PARCEL🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$148B
84UNION PAC CORP🇺🇸 United StatesIndustrials$148B
85UNILEVER PLC🇬🇧 United KingdomConsumer Staples$147B
86AIA🇭🇰 Hong Kong SARFinancials$147B
87LINDE PLC🇬🇧 United KingdomBasic Materials$146B
88AMGEN INC🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$144B
89BRISTOL-MYER SQB🇺🇸 United StatesHealth Care$141B
90SIEMENS AG🇩🇪 GermanyIndustrials$140B
91BANK OF CHINA🇨🇳 ChinaFinancials$139B
92PHILIP MORRIS INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Staples$138B
93LOWE'S COS INC🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$136B
94CHARTER
COMMUNICATIONS
🇺🇸 United StatesTelecommunications$135B
95CHINA MOBILE🇭🇰 Hong Kong SARTelecommunications$134B
96SONY GROUP CORP🇯🇵 JapanConsumer Discretionary$132B
97ASTRAZENECA PLC🇬🇧 United KingdomHealth Care$131B
98ROYAL BANK OF CANADA🇨🇦 CanadaFinancials$131B
99STARBUCKS CORP🇺🇸 United StatesConsumer Discretionary$129B
100ANHEUSER-BUSCH🇧🇪 BelgiumConsumer Staples$128B

Note: Data as of March 31, 2021.

Within the ranking, there was a wide disparity in value. Apple was worth over $2 trillion, more than 16 times that of Anheuser-Busch (AB InBev), which took the 100th spot at $128 billion.

In total, 59 companies were headquartered in the United States, making up 65% of the top 100’s total market capitalization. China and its regions was the second most common location for company headquarters, with 14 companies on the list.

Risers and Fallers

What are some of the notable changes to the biggest companies in the world compared to last year’s ranking?

Tesla’s market capitalization surged by an eye-watering 565%, temporarily making Elon Musk the richest person in the world. Food delivery platform Meituan and PayPal benefited from growing e-commerce popularity with their market capitalizations growing by 221% and 151% respectively.

Tech companies TSMC and ASML Holdings were also among the top 10 risers, thanks to a shortage of semiconductor chips and growing demand.

On the other end of the scale, Swiss companies Nestlé, Novartis, and Roche Holding were all among the bottom 10 companies by market capitalization growth. China Mobile was the only company to decline with a -12% change. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange as a result of an executive order issued by former president Donald Trump, and recently announced its intention to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

A Sector View

Across the 100 biggest companies in the world, some sectors had higher weightings.

SectorTotal Market Cap in Top 100% of Top 100 Market CapNumber of Companies in Top 100
Technology$10.5T33.0%20
Consumer Discretionary$6.0T18.9%17
Financials$3.4T10.8%14
Health Care$3.3T10.5%16
Energy$2.7T8.5%5
Consumer Staples$2.0T6.4%9
Industrials$2.0T6.4%9
Telecommunications$1.3T4.1%7
Basic Materials$0.3T1.0%2
Utilities$0.1T0.5%1

Technology had the highest market capitalization and was also the most common sector, with Big Tech dominating the top 10. Companies in the consumer discretionary, financials, and health care sectors also had a strong representation in the ranking.

Despite having only five companies on the list, the energy sector amounted to almost 10% of the top 100’s market capitalization, mostly due to Saudi Aramco’s whopping valuation.

An Uncertain Recovery

From near market lows on March 31, 2020, all sectors saw increases in their market capitalization. However, top 100 companies in some sectors outperformed their respective industry index, while others did not.

Sector Performance of Biggest Companies in the World

Basic materials and industrials, both cyclical sectors, were high performers in the top 100 and outperformed their respective industry indexes. Technology companies also outperformed, and accounted for $255 billion or 31% of all shareholder distributions by the top 100, far more than any other sector. Apple alone spent $73 billion on share buybacks and $14 billion in dividends in the 2020 calendar year.

On the other hand, the worst-performing sectors in the top 100 were health care, utilities, and energy. While the index performance for health care and utilities was also relatively poor, the wider energy sector performed fairly well.

It’s perhaps not surprising that all sectors saw positive returns since their low levels in March 2020, buoyed by fiscal stimulus and central bank policies. As countries begin to reopen, will the value of the biggest companies in the world continue to climb?

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Markets

Beyond Big Names: The Case for Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks

Small- and mid-cap stocks have historically outperformed large caps. What are the opportunities and risks to consider?

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A line chart showing the historical return performance of small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks.

 

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The following content is sponsored by New York Life Investments
An infographic comparing low-, mid-, and large-cap stocks, including an area graph showing historical returns, a bubble chart showing how much $100 would be worth over 35 years, a horizontal bar graph showing annualized volatility, and a line graph showing relative forward price-to-earnings ratios, that together show that mid-cap stocks present a compelling investment opportunity.

Beyond Big Names: The Case for Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks

Over the last 35 years, small- and mid-cap stocks have outperformed large caps, making them an attractive choice for investors.

According to data from Yahoo Finance, from February 1989 to February 2024, large-cap stocks returned +1,664% versus +2,062% for small caps and +3,176% for mid caps.  

This graphic, sponsored by New York Life Investments, explores their return potential along with the risks to consider.

Higher Historical Returns

If you made a $100 investment in baskets of small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks in February 1989, what would each grouping be worth today?

Small CapsMid CapsLarge Caps
Starting value (February 1989)$100$100$100
Ending value (February 2024)$2,162$3,276$1,764

Source: Yahoo Finance (2024). Small caps, mid caps, and large caps are represented by the S&P 600, S&P 400, and S&P 500 respectively.

Mid caps delivered the strongest performance since 1989, generating 86% more than large caps.

This superior historical track record is likely the result of the unique position mid-cap companies find themselves in. Mid-cap firms have generally successfully navigated early stage growth and are typically well-funded relative to small caps. And yet they are more dynamic and nimble than large-cap companies, allowing them to respond quicker to the market cycle.

Small caps also outperformed over this timeframe. They earned 23% more than large caps. 

Higher Volatility

However, higher historical returns of small- and mid-cap stocks came with increased risk. They both endured greater volatility than large caps. 

Small CapsMid CapsLarge Caps
Total Volatility18.9%17.4%14.8%

Source: Yahoo Finance (2024). Small caps, mid caps, and large caps are represented by the S&P 600, S&P 400, and S&P 500 respectively.

Small-cap companies are typically earlier in their life cycle and tend to have thinner financial cushions to withstand periods of loss relative to large caps. As a result, they are usually the most volatile group followed by mid caps. Large-cap companies, as more mature and established players, exhibit the most stability in their stock prices.

Investing in small caps and mid caps requires a higher risk tolerance to withstand their price swings. For investors with longer time horizons who are capable of enduring higher risk, current market pricing strengthens the case for stocks of smaller companies.

Attractive Valuations

Large-cap stocks have historically high valuations, with their forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) trading above their 10-year average, according to analysis conducted by FactSet.

Conversely, the forward P/E ratios of small- and mid-cap stocks seem to be presenting a compelling entry point. 

Small Caps/Large CapsMid Caps/Large Caps
Relative Forward P/E Ratios0.710.75
Discount29%25%

Source: Yardeni Research (2024). Small caps, mid caps, and large caps are represented by the S&P 600, S&P 400, and S&P 500 respectively.

Looking at both groups’ relative forward P/E ratios (small-cap P/E ratio divided by large-cap P/E ratio, and mid-cap P/E ratio divided by large-cap P/E ratio), small and mid caps are trading at their steepest discounts versus large caps since the early 2000s.

Discovering Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks

Growth-oriented investors looking to add equity exposure could consider incorporating small and mid caps into their portfolios.

With superior historical returns and relatively attractive valuations, small- and mid-cap stocks present a compelling opportunity for investors capable of tolerating greater volatility.

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