InvestingLists

50 largest companies in the world by market capitalization as of 2017 end

Posted quantofasia
largest companies in the world - usually thought of by their skyscrapers

Investors looking to replace index ETFs or more expensive stock mutual funds or closed-end funds with direct positions in blue chip stocks may want to start by owning some of the largest companies in the world by market cap.  Market cap is simply the total value of shares outstanding, and most index funds and ETFs weight towards market cap, meaning they will invest 10x as much in one company as in another company 1/10th the size.  The S&P 500 is one of the best known market cap weighted indices, and has largely replaced the Dow Jones Industrial Average as a benchmark for how US stocks are doing.

Beyond the US, Dow Jones (now S&P Dow Jones) has an index called the Dow Jones Global Titans, meant to represent 50 of the largest, best known and most influential int he world, though it is worth noting this index may already be an outdated indicator of global giants, as 34 of the 50 companies are American and none are mainland Chinese.

Below is a list of some the 50 largest companies in the world by market cap as of late November 2017, based on a rough read through the Wall Street Journal.  Note there are many Chinese companies, but perhaps more importantly, the large number of banks.

Replacing funds with direct stock positions gives more control over which factors to include in a portfolio: for example, how much exposure to banks, companies not making profits, companies trading at high earnings multiples, etc.  In an earlier post, I discussed the historic returns of different factors within the S&P 500.

TickerNameCountryWebsiteWSJ Link
US:AAPLApple Inc.United Stateshttp://www.apple.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/AAPL/financials
US:GOOGAlphabet Inc. Cl CUnited Stateshttp://www.abc.xyzhttp://quotes.wsj.com/GOOG/financials
US:MSFTMicrosoft Corp.United Stateshttp://www.microsoft.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/MSFT/financials
US:AMZNAmazon.com Inc.United Stateshttp://www.amazon.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/AMZN/financials
HK:0700Tencent Holdings Ltd.Chinahttp://www.tencent.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/0700/financials
US:BABAAlibaba Group Holding Ltd. ADRChinahttp://www.alibabagroup.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/BABA/financials
US:BRK.BBerkshire Hathaway Inc. Cl BUnited Stateshttp://www.berkshirehathaway.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/BRK.B/financials
US:JNJJohnson & JohnsonUnited Stateshttp://www.jnj.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/JNJ/financials
US:JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co.United Stateshttp://www.jpmorganchase.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/JPM/financials
US:XOMExxon Mobil Corp.United Stateshttp://www.exxonmobil.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/XOM/financials
HK:1398Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd.Chinahttp://www.icbc.com.cnhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/1398/financials
US:WMTWal-Mart Stores Inc.United Stateshttp://corporate.walmart.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/WMT/financials
US:BACBank of America Corp.United Stateshttp://www.bankofamerica.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/BAC/financials
US:WFCWells Fargo & Co.United Stateshttp://www.wellsfargo.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/WFC/financials
UK:RDSARoyal Dutch Shell PLC ANetherlandshttp://www.shell.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/UK/XLON/RDSA/financials
US:VVISA Inc. Cl AUnited Stateshttp://usa.visa.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/V/financials
US:PGProcter & Gamble Co.United Stateshttp://www.pg.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/PG/financials
HK:0939China Construction Bank Corp.Chinahttp://www.ccb.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/0939/financials
CH:NOVNNovartis AGSwitzerlandhttp://www.novartis.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/CH/XVTX/NOVN/financials
US:CVXChevron Corp.United Stateshttp://www.chevron.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/CVX/financials
HK:0857PetroChina Co. Ltd.Chinahttp://www.petrochina.com.cnhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/0857/financials
US:TAT&T Inc.United Stateshttp://www.att.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/T/financials
US:PFEPfizer Inc.United Stateshttp://www.pfizer.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/PFE/financials
US:INTCIntel Corp.United Stateshttp://www.intel.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/INTC/financials
US:TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. ADRTaiwanhttp://www.tsmc.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/TSM/financials
HK:0941China Mobile Ltd.Hong Konghttp://www.chinamobileltd.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/0941/financials
JP:7203Toyota Motor Corp.Japanhttp://www.toyota.co.jphttp://quotes.wsj.com/JP/XTKS/7203/financials
US:ORCLOracle Corp.United Stateshttp://www.oracle.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/ORCL/financials
US:UNHUnitedHealth Group Inc.United Stateshttp://www.unitedhealthgroup.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/UNH/financials
HK:2318Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China Ltd.Chinahttp://www.pingan.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/2318/financials
CH:ROGRoche Holding AGSwitzerlandhttp://www.roche.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/CH/XVTX/ROG/financials
US:HDHome Depot Inc.United Stateshttp://www.homedepot.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HD/financials
US:KOCoca-Cola Co.United Stateshttp://www.coca-colacompany.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/KO/financials
US:BUDAnheuser-Busch InBev S.A. ADRBelgiumhttp://www.ab-inbev.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/BUD/financials
UK:HSBAHSBC Holdings PLC (UK Reg)United Kingdomhttp://www.hsbc.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/UK/XLON/HSBA/financials
US:CCitigroup Inc.United Stateshttp://www.citigroup.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/C/financials
US:VZVerizon Communications Inc.United Stateshttp://www.verizon.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/VZ/financials
US:CSCOCisco Systems Inc.United Stateshttp://www.cisco.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/CSCO/financials
HK:1288Agricultural Bank of China Ltd.Chinahttp://www.abchina.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/1288/financials
HK:3988Bank of China Ltd.Chinahttp://www.boc.cnhttp://quotes.wsj.com/HK/XHKG/3988/financials
US:PEPPepsiCo Inc.United Stateshttp://www.pepsico.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/PEP/financials
US:DISWalt Disney Co.United Stateshttp://www.thewaltdisneycompany.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/DIS/financials
US:PMPhilip Morris International Inc.United Stateshttp://www.pmi.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/PM/financials
US:GEGeneral Electric Co.United Stateshttp://www.ge.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/GE/financials
US:MAMastercard Inc.United Stateshttp://www.mastercard.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/MA/financials
US:BABoeing Co.United Stateshttp://www.boeing.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/BA/financials
US:MRKMerck & Co. Inc.United Stateshttp://www.merck.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/MRK/financials
US:BTIBritish American Tobacco PLC ADRUnited Kingdomhttp://www.bat.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/BTI/financials
US:ABBVAbbVie Inc.United Stateshttp://www.abbvie.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/ABBV/financials
FR:MCLVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SEFrancehttp://www.lvmh.comhttp://quotes.wsj.com/FR/XPAR/MC/financials

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