Largest Companies - Market Capitalization (Fourth Quarter 2010)

This article lists the largest companies in the world ranked by market capitalization, the mathematical product of a company's stock price and number of shares outstanding.

Among the world's twenty-five largest companies, sixteen are headquartered in the United States, three in the United Kingdom, two in Brazil, and one each in Australia, China, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. These twenty-five companies comprise seven sectors and eighteen different industries.

Each company's sector, industry, headquarter location, and stock symbol is set forth in these market capitalization rankings.

1. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Exxon Mobil Corp.

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Major Integrated Oil & Gas
Headquarters: Irving, Texas (USA)
Stock Symbol: XOM
Market Capitalization: $352.98B

2. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Apple Inc.

Sector: Technology
Industry: Personal Computer
Headquarters: Cupertino, California (USA)
Stock Symbol: AAPL
Market Capitalization: $290.91B

3. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: BHP Billiton Ltd.

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Industrial Metals & Minerals
Headquarters: Melbourne, VIC (AUS)
Stock Symbol: BHP
Market Capitalization: $256.35B

4. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: PetroChina Co. Ltd.

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Major Integrated Oil & Gas
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Stock Symbol: PTR
Market Capitalization: $241.77B

5. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Microsoft Corporation

Sector: Technology
Industry: Application Software
Headquarters: Redmond, Washington (USA)
Stock Symbol: MSFT
Market Capitalization: $229.72B

6. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: BHP Billiton plc

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Industrial Metals & Minerals
Headquarters: London, England (UK)
Stock Symbol: BBL
Market Capitalization: $222.41B

7. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: China Mobile Limited

Sector: Technology
Industry: Wireless Communications
Headquarters: Central, Hong Kong
Stock Symbol: CHL
Market Capitalization: $212.82B

8. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Sector: Financial
Industry: Property & Casualty Insurance
Headquarters: Omaha, Nebraska (USA)
Stock Symbol: BRK-A
Market Capitalization: $207.17B

9. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Royal Dutch Shell plc

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Major Integrated Oil & Gas
Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands
Stock Symbol: RDS-A
Market Capitalization: $204.71B

10. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Sector: Services
Industry: Discount, Variety Stores
Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas (USA)
Stock Symbol: WMT
Market Capitalization: $200.74B

11. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Google Inc.

Sector: Technology
Industry: Internet Information Providers
Headquarters: Mountain View, California (USA)
Stock Symbol: GOOG
Market Capitalization: $199.89B

12. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: HSBC Holdings plc

Sector: Financial
Industry: Foreign Money Center Bank
Headquarters: London, England (UK)
Stock Symbol: HBC
Market Capitalization: $196.47B

13. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Proctor & Gamble

Sector: Consumer Goods
Industry: Personal Products
Headquarters: Cincinnati, Ohio (USA)
Stock Symbol: PG
Market Capitalization: $184.43B

14. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: International Business Machines Corp.

Sector: Technology
Industry: Diversified Computer Systems
Headquarters: Armonk, New York (USA)
Stock Symbol: IBM
Market Capitalization: $182.53B

15. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: General Electric

Sector: Conglomerates
Industry: Conglomerates
Headquarters: Fairfield, CT (USA)
Stock Symbol: GE
Market Capitalization: $178.10B

16. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Johnson & Johnson

Sector: Healthcare
Industry: Major Drug Manufacturers
Headquarters: New Brunswick, New Jersey (USA)
Stock Symbol: JNJ
Market Capitalization: $178.08

17. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Vale S.A.

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Steel & Iron
Headquarters: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Stock Symbol: VALE
Market Capitalization: $177.89B

18. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: AT&T, Inc.

Sector: Technology
Industry: Domestic Telecom Services
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
Stock Symbol: T
Market Capitalization: $172.99B

19. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Chevron Corp.

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Major Integrated Oil & Gas
Headquarters: San Ramon, California
Stock Symbol: CVX
Market Capitalization: $170.86B

20. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Sector: Financial
Industry: Money Center Banks
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Symbol: JPM
Market Capitalization: $160.72B

21. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Petroleo Brasileiro

Sector: Basic Materials
Industry: Oil & Gas Drilling and Exploration
Headquarters: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Stock Symbol: PBR
Market Capitalization: $158.50B

22. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Wells Fargo & Company

Sector: Financial
Industry: Money Center Banks
Headquarters: San Francisco, California (USA)
Stock Symbol: WFC
Market Capitalization: $153.37B

23. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Vodafone Group plc

Sector: Technology
Industry: Wireless Communications
Headquarters: Newbury, England (UK)
Stock Symbol: VOD
Market Capitalization: $149.79B

24. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: Oracle Corp.

Sector: Technology
Industry: Application Software
Headquarters: Redwood Shores, California
Stock Symbol: ORCL
Market Capitalization: $147.04B

25. Largest Companies - Market Capitalization: The Coca-Cola Company

Sector: Consumer Goods
Industry: Beverages - Soft Drinks
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Stock Symbol: KO
Market Capitalization: $145.31B

Source(s):

"Stock Screener," Financial Visualizations