The global business landscape is dominated by a handful of colossal enterprises that command immense market capitalizations. These titans of industry span a diverse spectrum of sectors, including technology, communications services, energy, consumer cyclicals, and financial services.

While the majority of these top-ranking companies churn out eye-watering revenue figures in the hundreds of billions of dollars, a notable minority generate less than $100 billion annually. This anomaly suggests that investors harbor heightened expectations for the growth potential of these smaller entities compared to their larger counterparts.

So who are they? We will tell you about the 5 largest companies by market capitalization at the moment.

Apple

  • Market capitalization: $2.97 trillion.
  • Revenue: $383.28 billion.
  • Net profit: $97 billion.
  • Total return for 1 year: 29.15%.
  • Exchange: Nasdaq.
  • Year founded: 1976.

Apple (AAPL), the iconic American technology company, has cemented its position as the world’s most valuable company. Its success stems from its diversified portfolio of consumer technologies, encompassing smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, home entertainment devices, and more. Among its most popular offerings are the iPhone smartphones and Mac computers, which have revolutionized the way people interact with technology.

The company recently launched AppleTV+, an entertainment content streaming service, which aims to compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney+.

 

Microsoft

  • Market capitalization: $2.81 trillion.
  • Revenue: $218.31 billion.
  • Net profit: $77.1 billion.
  • 1-year trailing total return: 55.12%.
  • Exchange: Nasdaq.
  • Year founded: 1975.

Microsoft (MSFT), a technology behemoth, has established itself as a global developer of software, devices, solutions, and services. Renowned for its Windows operating system and Office Suite productivity software, Microsoft has also made significant strides in the gaming industry with its Xbox console lineup.

The company’s foray into cloud computing has been particularly noteworthy, with its Azure cloud platform emerging as one of the industry’s leading contenders. Microsoft has also diversified its portfolio by acquiring and operating LinkedIn, a popular social network for professional networking and job searches.

Saudi Aramco

  • Market capitalization: $2.15 trillion.
  • Revenue: $501.64 billion.
  • Net profit: $126.52 billion.
  • 1-year rolling total return: 11.16%.
  • Exchange: Tadawul (Saudi Stock Exchange).
  • Year founded: 1933.

Saudi Arabian Oil Company, commonly known as Saudi Aramco, is a leading global integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Saudi Arabia. With its origins as an overseas subsidiary of Standard Oil, it is now entirely owned by the Saudi Arabian government.

Aramco’s operations encompass both upstream and downstream segments, catering to the entire oil and gas value chain. Its exploration and production segment focuses on the exploration, development, production, and transportation of crude oil, condensate, and natural gas.

Alphabet

  • Market capitalization: $1.74 trillion.
  • Revenue: $296.38 billion.
  • Net profit: $66.73 billion.
  • 1 year rolling total return: 45.61%
  • Exchange: Nasdaq.
  • Year founded: 1998.

Alphabet (GOOGL/GOOG), the parent company of Google, is a technology conglomerate that reigns supreme in the global search engine market. Its portfolio encompasses a diverse array of cutting-edge technologies and digital services, spanning search, the Android operating system, the Chrome web browser, Gmail email services, the online file storage platform Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, the Google Play app store, and YouTube.

 

Amazon

  • Market capitalization: $1.52 trillion.
  • Revenue: $554.03 billion.
  • Net profit: $20.08 billion.
  • Total return for 1 year: 58.40%
  • Exchange: Nasdaq.
  • Year founded: 1994.

Amazon (AMZN) is a digital commerce giant that has revolutionized the way people shop and consume content. It’s a sprawling enterprise that encompasses both online retail and cloud computing services. In the e-commerce realm, Amazon reigns supreme as the world’s largest online retailer, offering a vast array of products and services directly to consumers. It sources products from suppliers and also facilitates sales from third-party sellers, effectively serving as a marketplace for a wide range of goods.

Beyond its core e-commerce and cloud computing businesses, Amazon has expanded into a diversified portfolio of subscription and web services, including a streaming entertainment business and a thriving consumer electronics division. Its Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Fire TV devices, and Echo and Alexa smart speakers have garnered significant acclaim and market share.