With a market capitalization of 3.12 trillion U.S. dollars as of May 2024, Microsoft was the world’s largest company that year. Rounding out the top five were some of the world’s most recognizable brands: Apple, NVIDIA, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Amazon. Saudi Aramco led the ranking of the world's most profitable companies in 2023, with a pre-tax income of nearly 250 billion U.S. dollars.
How are market value and market capitalization determined?
Market value and market capitalization are two terms frequently used – and confused - when discussing the profitability and viability of companies. Strictly speaking, market capitalization (or market cap) is the worth of a company based on the total value of all their shares; an important metric when determining the comparative value of companies for trading opportunities. Accordingly, many stock exchanges such as the New York or London Stock Exchange release market capitalization data on their listed companies. On the other hand, market value technically refers to what a company is worth in a much broader context. It is determined by multiple factors, including profitability, corporate debt, and the market environment as a whole. In this sense it aims to estimate the overall value of a company, with share price only being one element. Market value is therefore useful for determining whether a company’s shares are over- or undervalued, and in arriving at a price if the company is to be sold. Such valuations are generally made on a case-by-case basis though, and not regularly reported. For this reason, market capitalization is often reported as market value.
What are the top companies in the world?
The answer to this question depends on the metric used. Although the largest company by market capitalization, Microsoft's global revenue did not manage to crack the top 20 companies. Rather, American multinational retailer Walmart was ranked as thelargest company in the world by revenue. Walmart also had the highest number of employees in the world.
FAQs
Biggest companies in the world by market value 2023. With a market capitalization of 3.12 trillion U.S. dollars as of May 2024, Microsoft was the world's largest company that year. Rounding out the top five were some of the world's most recognizable brands: Apple, NVIDIA, Google's parent company Alphabet, and Amazon.
What is the most valuable company in 2023? ›
2023
| Rank | First quarter | Third quarter |
|---|
| 1 | Apple 2,609,000 | Apple 2,677,000 |
| 2 | Microsoft 2,146,000 | Microsoft 2,346,000 |
| 3 | Alphabet 1,332,000 | Alphabet 1,662,000 |
| 4 | Amazon 1,058,000 | Amazon 1,312,000 |
6 more rowsMicrosoft, Apple, Alphabet (the company that owns Google) and Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) were the top four companies in new statistical ranking of 750 of the world's best companies by Statista and TIME, which are based on a formula of revenue growth, employee-satisfaction surveys, and rigorous environmental, ...
What are the three most valuable companies? ›
Largest Companies by Market Cap
| # | Name | C. |
|---|
| 1 | Apple 1AAPL | 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | Microsoft 2MSFT | 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | NVIDIA 3NVDA | 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | Amazon 4AMZN | 🇺🇸 |
57 more rowsBrand Finance list (2024)
| Rank | Brand | Brand value (US$ millions) |
|---|
| 1 | Apple Inc. | 516,582 |
| 2 | Microsoft Corp | 340,442 |
| 3 | Google | 333,441 |
| 4 | Amazon.com | 308,926 |
6 more rows%ranking_name_en%
| Rank | Company | Industry |
|---|
| 1 | CDL 1000 Employees 2021 63 | Logistics & Transportation Learn more |
| 2 | Axonics Employees 2021 517 | Health Care & Life Sciences Learn more |
| 3 | VAST Data Employees 2021 321 | IT & Software Learn more |
| 4 | Athletic Brewing Company Employees 2021 185 | Food & Beverages Learn more |
6 more rowsThe top 10 most valuable companies by market cap as of August 2024 are Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Alphabet, Saudi Aramco, Amazon, Meta, Berkshire Hathaway, TSMC, and Eli Lilly.
What is the best company to invest in 2023? ›
100 Best Stocks 2023: Nvidia, Meta Make The List
| Rank | Company | Industry |
|---|
| 1 | AbercrmFitch | RETAIL-APPRL/SHOES/ACC |
| 2 | Vertiv | ELECTRICAL POWER/EQPMT |
| 3 | SuperMicro | CMP-HRDWRE/PERIP |
| 4 | Nvidia | ELEC-SEMICON FBLSS |
42 more rowsDec 29, 2023
Apple is the largest company in the world, with a market cap of $3.48 trillion. It's followed by Microsoft ($3.10 trillion), Nvidia ($2.94 trillion), Alphabet ($2.03 trillion), and Amazon ($1.87 trillion).
What is the most valuable company right now? ›
Apple. Apple Inc. is the biggest company in the world by market cap.
The dominance of BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street is not just in terms of market share but also their approach to ownership. They hold the largest shareholder positions in 40% of all listed U.S. corporations and 88% of S&P 500 firms.
What is the most valuable company in the world in 2024? ›
The most valuable company in the world is Apple Inc, which means it has the highest market capitalization, as on September 10, 2024, followed by Microsoft Corporation.
What is the most successful brand of all time? ›
Top 10 most recognisable brands
- Apple (AAPL)
- Google (GOOGL)
- Amazon (AMZN)
- Microsoft (MSFT)
- Coca-Cola (KO)
- Samsung (SMSN)
- Toyota (TSE)
- Mercedes-Benz (DAIG)
As of 2024, Apple was ranked as the most valuable U.S. brand, with a brand value of nearly 516.6 billion U.S. dollars. Tech giants Microsoft and Google followed with 340.44 and 333.44 billion dollars, respectively.
What company has the highest net worth 2023? ›
The 100 largest companies in the world by market capitalization in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)
| Ranking of the companies from 1 to 100 | Market capitalization in billion U.S. dollars |
|---|
| Microsoft (U.S.) | 3,123.13 |
| Apple (U.S.) | 2,911.49 |
| NVIDIA (U.S.) | 2,311.97 |
| Alphabet (U.S.) | 2,177.68 |
9 more rowsJul 4, 2024
Top-Performing Stocks of 2023
- Coinbase.
- Nvidia.
- DraftKings DKNG.
- Meta Platforms META.
- Palantir Technologies PLTR.
Between 2019 and 2023, oil and gas explorers and producers logged the highest total revenue worldwide, reaching 5.3 trillion U.S. dollars.
Who is the richest business man in the world 2023? ›
In 2023, Musk was in turn surpassed by French businessman Bernard Arnault, after topping the list for just a year. Arnault became the first French person to top the list.
