Most valuable companies 2023 | Statista

With a market capitalization of $3.12 trillion in May 2024, Microsoft was the largest company in the world this year. The top five included some of the world’s most recognizable brands: Apple, NVIDIA, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Amazon. Saudi Aramco topped the ranking of the world’s most profitable companies in 2023 with pre-tax profits of nearly $250 billion.

How are market value and market capitalization determined?

Market value and market capitalization are two terms that are often used – and confused – when it comes to the profitability and viability of companies. Strictly speaking, market capitalization (or market cap) is the value of a company based on the total value of all its shares; an important yardstick in determining the comparative value of companies for trading opportunities. Accordingly, many stock exchanges such as the New York or London Stock Exchange publish market capitalization data of their listed companies. Market value, on the other hand, technically refers to what a company is worth in a much broader context. It is determined by several factors, including profitability, company debt and the market environment as a whole. In this sense, it aims to estimate the overall value of a company, with the share price being just one element. Market value is therefore useful for determining whether a company’s shares are overvalued or undervalued and for setting a price when the company is to be sold. However, such valuations are generally made on a case-by-case basis and are not published on a regular basis. For this reason, market capitalization is often quoted as market value.

Which are the top companies in the world?

The answer to this question depends on the metric used. Although Microsoft is the largest company by market capitalization, the company did not make the top 20 based on its global revenue. Instead, American multinational retailer Walmart was ranked as the largest company in the world by revenue. Walmart also had the highest number of employees in the world.