Most valuable companies in the world

Market value in U.S. dollars: $97 billion

As the world’s #1 CRM (customer relationship management) company, Salesforce provides support to more than 150,000 companies to support their sales and customer experience efforts. Marc Benioff is famous founder and CEO of Salesforce, where he the coined the 1-1-1 philanthropic model for corporate giving, consisting of 1% donations of employee time (in the form of volunteering), company products, and resources.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $97.7 billion

Morgan Stanley was formed by Henry Morgan and Harold Stanley in 1935 after the Glass-Steagall Act split commercial and investment banks. With 55,000 employees across 42 countries, the multinational investment bank has an impressive list of clients as well as controversies. Morgan Stanley boasts the sixth-largest total count of assets under management of any bank in the United States, and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $98.4 billion

Founded half a century ago in 1968, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) operates in 46 countries and ranks among the biggest Indian companies by market cap. With 67 subsidiaries, TCS’s products and services operate widely across the information technology sector and has nearly 400,000 employees.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $98.5 billion

The world’s largest oilfield services company, Schlumberger is incorporated in Willemstad, Curaçao though it has principal offices in Paris, Houston, London, and the Hague. Schlumberger employs 100,000 people across 85 different countries.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $98.6 billion

The result of a 2000 merger between two of the time's biggest pharmaceutical companies in Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham, the British giants have been in the news recently for one of their widely desired products. Their shingles vaccine Shingrix drove such high demand in the United States that there ultimately ended up being a deficiency in supply.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $99.3 billion

The world’s third-largest mining company in the world operates in a handful of mineral mining areas. Amongst its best-known product groups are their aluminum, copper and diamonds, and iron ore groups, all mined by more than 47,000 employees in 35 different nations.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $99.5 billion

Inditex is a massive Spanish parent company home to eight well-known subsidiaries, of which the most recognizable may be the fashion brand Zara. Others include Oysho, Bershka, Pull & Bear, and the Italian fashion brand Massimo Dutti.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $99.6 billion

With more than 200,000 employees, UTC is one of the world’s largest, most globalized manufacturers of aerospace technologies and only looks to grow in the near future. The American multinational conglomerate looks to add 35,000 new jobs in the United States in the next five years.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $99.7 billion

What can brown do for its customers? A whole lot actually, as the United Parcel Service, better known by its acronym UPS, is amongst the largest package delivery and supply chain management companies in the entire world. Regardless of where one is reading this, they've probably received a UPS package at one point or another, as UPS delivers products to all 50 states and hundreds of nations.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $99.9 billion

For those who have spent hours looking for the perfect flight, the best deal on a rental car, or a nice spot for date night, the likelihood is that they've used at least one of Booking Holdings' various travel-based subsidiaries. The likes of Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, and OpenTable all fall under the umbrella of the travel company.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $100 billion

One of the world's largest electronics manufacturers in the world, Broadcom was originally based in Singapore but is now headquartered in San Jose, California. The semiconductor group offer a wide array of applications within wired infrastructure, wireless communications, enterprise storage, and industrial applications—as well as high-tech gadgets ranging from embedded processors to optocouplers.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $100.4 billion

Even some of the more casual soccer fans may be familiar with these German financial services company best known for their insurance and asset management services. Their logo graces the Allianz Arena in Munich, home to both FC Bayern Munich and the German national soccer team. In the wake of one of the worst Atlantic hurricane seasons ever in 2017, the German insurance giant has seen shares fall nearly 9% this year.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $101 billion

Following suit of many companies in recent years, Accenture has made great strides financially in recent months from their decision to invest more heavily “in digital and cloud services.” The giants from Dublin, Ireland specialize in a handful of fields, including digital strategy, consulting, technology, and business operations. 

Market value in U.S. dollars: $101.4 billion

One of the world’s most powerful automotive companies in the world today, the German manufacturer has been slammed in recent years by blowback surrounding the rigging of emissions tests. The brand has even darker historical origins, as it began by the decree of Adolf Hitler in May of 1937, who wanted a company which would produce “The People’s Car.”

Market value in U.S. dollars: $104.1 billion

Along with People's Insurance Company of China, China Life Insurance shook the entire insurance industry back in 2009 when a government audit revealed that China's two largest mainland insurers had been committing "illegal and improper activities" which involved approximately 3 billion yuan (roughly $450 million). While the sum sounds huge, it was not large enough to shake the performance of the state-owned company, which has been named amongst the Fortune Global 500 a remarkable 15 years in a row.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $104.5 billion

This massive parent company based in Richmond, Va. is amongst the world's largest producers, manufacturers, and distributors of tobacco in the world, and it has the subsidiaries to prove it. Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, and John Middleton are all major Altria brands.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $104.6 billion

The Leverkusen, Germany-based pharmaceutical giants are known for their world-renowned prescription pills and over-the-counter remedies like Aleve, Aspirin, and Claritin, but recently, they’ve begun to place a bigger emphasis on crop science. Liam Condon, President of Bayer’s crop science division, announced at a July 3rd press conference in Sao Paulo that 80 percent of Brazilian sales will come from the likes of “agrochemicals and licensing of genetically modified seeds,” areas which are likely to see additional funding since Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $106.3 billion

The namesake of its founding location on Spain’s northern coast, Banco Santander has gone global since it was opened in 1857 and is now headquartered in the massive metropolitan area of Mexico City. Much like its contemporaries in the financial services industry, its day-to-day business is heavily influenced by geopolitical events, with the banking group has cited Brexit, the Catalan push for independence, and American shifts in immigration and trade laws as potential risks to business.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $106.9 billion

For anyone who has ever taken a complicated math or science class, they are probably familiar with the TI-Nspire or TI-84 calculators. However, this Dallas-based tech company has a whole lot more to offer than just quick math, as their amplifiers, clocks, motor devices, and wireless connectivity technology are all held in high esteem.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $107.4 billion

Headquartered in Lake Bluff, Illinois, Abbott is a healthcare company which owns a broad range of generic drugs, medical equipment, and nutritional products. The first HIV-screening blood test was developed by Abbott in 1985 and its medical tests are now used worldwide.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $107.8 billion

Believe it or not, “America’s Most Convenient Bank” is actually managed by a Canadian banking corporation. Toronto-Dominion Bank is based in Ontario’s biggest city and is the nation’s money manager of Canadian assets since their $792 million acquisition of Greystone Managed Investments Inc.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $109.7 billion

Union Pacific Railroad was founded in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act, in support of a transcontinental railroad to open up the country. Moving goods across 32,000 of railroad track in the continental United States west of Chicago, Union Pacific touts its lines as a fuel-efficient alternative to traditional transportation, with the capacity to move one ton of freight 465 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $110.1 billion

Honeywell is amongst the largest and most diversified multinational conglomerates the world has to offer, operating in a handful of different fields. Most notably, the tech experts function in aerospace, home and building technologies, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $110.3 billion

A 2017 Forbes release reveals Adidas’ $7.9 billion valuation and Under Armour’s $4.4 billion valuation do not even add up to half that of Nike, whose $29.6 billion brand valuation makes them the #1 player in the sports apparel market. A big marketing success for the apparel giants over the years has been the sponsorship of marquee athletes such as LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, each of whom recently moved to new teams in what are sure to be big money-makers for the Beaverton, Oregon giants.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $111.4 billion

Along with its many subsidiaries, AIA Group comprises the "largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group," which is not overwhelmingly surprising given that its headquarters are located in Hong Kong. The superhub of transportation and commerce was ranked by A.T. Kearney's 2018 Global Cities Report as the fifth most global city in 2018, just behind Asia's leader in Tokyo at #4.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $112.4 billion

China Merchants Bank has been in hot water in recent months as former employees have alleged the company engages in shady discriminatory practices. Xin Wang, a former corporate executive for the U.S. branch, claims her dismissal had to do with her advocacy of approving credit to neighborhoods that other members of the company would not, which she argues is the result of anti-black redlining.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $112.5 billion

Much like Allianz has made a name for itself in the world of sports sponsorship, Siemens has become well-known internationally through soccer sponsorships, namely with Real Madrid in the 2000s and their recent partnership with Germany’s Bayern Munich. The multinational German tech conglomerate recently acquired the Oakland, California office controls application Comfy, which allows workers to manage temperature, find conference rooms, and perform a handful of other useful functions in their offices.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $112.8 billion

One of the largest technology investors in the world, Cape Town’s Naspers Ltd. is easily Africa’s largest conglomerate. They have contributed capital toward the growth of a handful of well-known companies on the rise, the likes of which include AutoTrader, Codecademy, and the Human Diagnosis Project (Human Dx).  

Market value in U.S. dollars: $113.4 billion

While RBC is the largest bank in Canada in terms of market capitalization, it recognizes the pivotal importance in catering to its client pool south of the border, as well. By implementing Cross-Border Banking, the Canadian bank allows its patrons to access funds seamlessly regardless of whether they’re based in Canada or the United States at that particular moment.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $115.8 billion

The biopharmaceutical giants from Thousand Oaks, California are amongst the many biotech companies taking initiatives to bridge data science and medical science with burgeoning technologies. The integration of artificial intelligence will help developers enhance the treatments which have already made the company so successful, the likes of which include those for kidney disease, bone disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and a handful of other common diseases.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $116 billion

One of the world’s leading distributors of medical technologies, Minneapolis’ own Medtronic boasts an incredibly diverse product portfolio. Founded as a repair shop for medical equipment in 1949, the company has grown to become one of the world leaders in healthcare systems and their devices treat just under 40 unique conditions.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $116.9 billion

This multinational pharmaceutical group hails from Scandinavia, with their headquarters in Bagsværd, Denmark. Amongst their many health initiatives, Novo Nordisk proudly partnered with the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association in an active effort to combat the ever-growing threat of diabetes and heart diseases.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $119.1 billion

Anyone who has ever watched a video on their computer, opened a PDF, or tried to edit a picture, they’re probably already somewhat familiar with what Adobe brings to the table. The software leaders out of San Jose have one of the most easily recognizable product portfolios in the entire computer technology market, the likes of which include InDesign, Flash Player, and Photoshop.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $120.0 billion

Though the British multinational empire has made a name for itself through the manufacturing and distribution of traditional tobacco products like Camel and Newport cigarettes, the company is going in a new direction to fit the demands of its new age target market. BAT is expecting to make about £1 billion from smoking alternatives in 2018, as the likes of tobacco heating devices and e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $121.8 billion

The conglomerate formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company is headquartered in the town of Maplewood. The multinational superbrand has amassed a great deal of success from its management of household brands such as Post-it, Scotch-Brite, and Nexcare.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $126.2 billion

While it’s entirely possible that some have never heard of this multinational cigarette conglomerate, it seems one can’t walk into an American gas station without seeing a pack of Phillip Morris’ biggest subsidiary: Marlboro. Ironically enough, the manufacturer of various tobacco products’ new mantra is “Designing a Smoke-Free Future,” which they believe is realistic given recent trends in tobacco consumption.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $126.8 billion

This storied American firm which has been around for 125 years was on shaky footing towards the end of former CEO Jeff Immelt’s tenure on June 12th, 2017. John Flannery took over shortly thereafter, releasing a full turnaround plan for streamlining their operations and placing an emphasis on “aviation, power and healthcare” going forward.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $129.9 billion

Entrepreneur ranked McDonald’s atop the list of 2018’s Franchise 500, beating out the likes of 7-Eleven and Dunkin’ Donuts. Easily the world’s most recognizable fast food chain, Ronald McDonald’s Golden Arches can be seen at more than 37,000 locations worldwide

Market value in U.S. dollars: $132.3 billion

Founded on June 16, 1911, the International Business Machines Corporation operates in five primary fields. The tech giants were well known before the inception of their all-knowing supercomputer Watson, but when IBM’s genius machine embarrassed the human competition on Jeopardy back in 2011, the nation was put on notice.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $133.2 billion

The product of a 2001 merger between BHP and the Billiton mining company, this Australian mining, metals, and petroleum organization is based in Melbourne, but operates on a global scale. Offices can be found in big cities across the world, with at least one BHP Billiton location on all six inhabited continents.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $134.2 billion

Headed in Clichy in the Hauts-de-Seine district of Paris, L’Oréal of course boasts its world-renowned self-titled beauty line, but also manages many household names which are cosmetic and fashion essentials. The French giants’ long list of subsidiaries includes the likes of Lancôme Paris, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Diesel, Garnier, and Maybelline New York.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $138.1 billion

While the food, snack, and beverage group is of course known best for its self-titled soda brand which rivals Coca Cola, it is also the parent company for countless household favorites, the likes of which include Starbucks, Doritos, and Tropicana. One of the world’s largest culinary conglomerates, PepsiCo is constantly in competition with its Atlanta-based rivals and has to continually update and improve its product portfolio as such.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $138.6 billion

Short for the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, the oil and gas superpower based in Beijing, Sinopec has no shortage of connections with other petroleum heavyweights around the world. Just recently, one of its subsidiaries signed a contract worth more than $1 billion with the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, building on a relationship with the Middle Eastern nation which dates back to 2014.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $138.9 billion

Perhaps one of the most appropriately named companies on Earth, the SAP acronym is short for Systems, Applications, and Products, which is exactly what the German multinational software experts provide. The tech giant based in Walldorf boasts more than 91,000 employees in more than 180 countries, as well as more than 150 million users subscribed to their cloud user base.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $141.9 billion

While the streaming superpower remains atop the hierarchy of online TV platforms with an estimated 128 million viewers in 2018, there is a threat on the rise. Hulu, long viewed as Netflix's primary competition, expects to reach a viewership total of 32 million in 2018, while Amazon Prime is expected to hit 85 million viewers in 2018.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $142.4 billion

This Chinese beverage company, which is partially publicly traded and partially state-owned, dares its customers to try “The World’s Most Mysterious Spirit.” While the 106-proof drink is very popular amongst consumers in the People’s Republic, its high international price point and rare availability even amongst classier restaurants makes it far less well-known in the United States.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $146.8 billion

While the telecommunications giant is the City of Brotherly Love’s second-highest ranking company on the Fortune 500 list, their economic impact on their city could only be matched by their physical presence, as they have permanently engraved themselves into the metropolis’ skyline. The Comcast Center, standing at 974 feet tall, is the city’s tallest building and the 22nd tallest in the United States.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $152.1 billion

While the American entertainment conglomerate based in Burbank, Calif. is best known for its animated classics like “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Frozen,” an important tenet of its business model is the massive attendance at its world famous theme parks. In 2017, parks and resorts represented the second-most profitable operating segment for the animation kings, raking in $18.42 billion, only $5 billion less than the company’s media networks.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $152.6 billion

While the wildlife that call the Gulf of Mexico home have yet to fully recover from the company’s disastrous oil spill in 2010, British Petroleum have seemingly bounced back just fine. In what appears to be an active effort to right their environmental wrongs of the past, BP recently acquired Chargemaster, the United Kingdom’s largest operator of electric vehicles, forecasting hopes that there may be 12 million electric vehicles on the roads in Britain by the year 2040.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $154.5 billion

While the Santa Clara-based tech company is best known for its software, which is instrumental in developing some of the world's most popular video games, it has something newer and even more exciting on the horizon. On June 3, it introduced the availability of NVIDIA Isaac, a software development kit which makes it easier for programmers to incorporate artificial intelligence robotics into their systems.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $155.3 billion

When Dow Chemical and DuPont merged earlier in the year, it seemed simple enough to expect one new mega-company for the foreseeable future, though investors can apparently expect three spun-off, publicly-traded companies by early 2019. Analysts are split over whether or not to invest now or wait for the separation of Dow, DuPont, and Corteva Agriscience into three unique entities.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $155.8 billion

This British-Dutch superpower distributor of consumer goods is perhaps home to more household name brands than any of its competitors. The Rotterdam-based group is best known for its self-care subsidiaries which boast premium product lines, such as Dove, Axe, and Rexona, though it also houses a handful of tastebud ticklers in the forms of Magnum, Lipton, and Hellmann’s.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $158.6 billion

Formally established in February 1912, the Bank of China quickly rose to prominence as a major state-owned bank. In 2016, the Bank of China was designated as a Global Systemically Important Bank for the 6th year running, underscoring its role in the global economy at large.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $160.6 billion

One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, Merck was established in 1891 and is currently headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey. Merck publishes the best-selling medical textbook in the world, and was the first company to mass-produce penicillin back in 1942.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $165.3 billion

The biopharmaceutical company was recently ordered to pay $448 million in an anti-trust case pertaining to failures surrounding the testosterone gel AndroGel. While this sounds like a lot to the average consumer, this decision won't ultimately make a massive dent in the corporation's staggering $165 billion valuation.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $168.0 billion

Of the seven “supermajor” oil companies on Earth, Total is perhaps the least-well known by American consumers because its gas stations are far more infrequent in the United States than the likes of BP, Shell, and Chevron. The group has recently partnered with Pavillion Energy in an effort to develop LNG, or liquefied natural gas, as a means of marine fuel in Singapore.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $179.3 billion

Much like its mortal enemies over at PepsiCo, Coca-Cola is best known for its self-titled soft drink, but also boasts a great many household names, which are also fan-favorites. While Dasani and Minute Maid certainly come to mind as valuable subsidiaries of the Atlanta-based superpower, Sprite has risen to newfound heights in recent years with the help of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Drake, Vince Staples, and LeBron James.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $181.4 billion

Meaning “safe and well” in Chinese, the Shenzhen-headquartered Ping An Insurance Group is the largest insurance company in the world. Beyonce insurance, Ping An also owns a number of startups which deal with healthcare, peer-to-peer lending, and business-to-business connection.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $184.1 billion

One of the “big four” banks in the biggest economic superpower in Asia, the Agricultural Bank of China is the world’s third largest bank in terms of total assets. It’s known colloquially by its acronym ABC.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $184.3 billion

While the Belgian-Brazilian beverage conglomerate may sound unfamiliar at first glance, consider the many household names that operate under its umbrella. The brewing giants headquartered in Leuven, Belgium are responsible for Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Beck's, Bud Light, Carling Black Label, Foster's, Pilsener, and a handful of other delicious beers enjoyed by the millions on a daily basis.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $184.5 billion

Procter & Gamble boast great product diversity, as it is the undisputed king of both household cleaning necessities and self-care products. Amongst the many brands managed by the Cincinnati-based conglomerate are grooming goods like Old Spice and Gillette, as well as floor fixers such as Swiffer and Bounty.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $185.8 billion

One of the Big Four banks in the U.S., Citigroup’s headquarters in New York City led to its colloquial slogan “Citi never sleeps.” 

Market value in U.S. dollars: $189.7 billion

Based in Basel, Switzerland, F. Hoffman-La Roche AG operates globally under two primary divisions: Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. Their recent acquisition of Foundation Medicine could mean big things for investors, since Foundation Medicine was climbing in market price steadily up until this recent acquisition, which could mean good things for Roche.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $191.1 billion

A staple of Silicon Valley, the second-largest software peddler in the world is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, and focuses on database software and cloud engineered systems. Larry Ellison, the iconic chief technology officer and former CEO, has a  net worth exceeding $55 billion, more than half the market value of some of the smaller companies on this list.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $192.6 billion

United States President Donald J. Trump has no short history of spats with China, and his recent tirade against the telecommunications company China Mobile is no exception. The head of state has moved to block the corporation from offering services within the U.S. because of his claim that they pose "national security risks."

Market value in U.S. dollars: $198.3 billion

The American Telephone & Telegraph company has pivoted to the former since being founded by Alexander Graham Bell in 1880, and has been in the news recently after a judge approved its $85 billion acquisition of the mass media company Time Warner.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $199.5 billion

If one has ever flown anywhere with pretty much any airline, there is an overwhelming likelihood that they’ve ridden aboard a Boeing aircraft. Its list of customers is about as comprehensive as could be within the context of air travel, as the likes of United, Delta, and American Airlines all proudly fly Boeing-built planes.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $200.3 billion

The largest bank in Europe, HSBC, named for the initials of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, controls over $2.5 trillion in assets. Founded in Hong Kong in 1865 while still a British colony, HSBC has since relocated its global headquarters to London and operates worldwide.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $200.7 billion

Perhaps a little known fact about this automotive behemoth is that the company name stems from its place of origin: Toyota, Japan, not too far outside the metropolis of Nagoya. The car, truck, and SUV manufacturer in the United States was responsible for two of the three best-selling models in 2017 in the forms of the Camry and Corolla.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $200.9 billion

Headquartered in New York City, Verizon is one of the largest multinational telecommunications conglomerates in the world and is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In an effort to build better public relations with consumers, the telephone ogranization recently introduced a military discount, which has the potential to save active service members and veterans up to $40 a month.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $201.9 billion

The owner of a trademark on the word "Priceless," Mastercard is fittingly headquartered in Purchase, New York. In 2004, Mastercard paid a mind-boggling settlement of $1.8 billion to American Express related to an antitrust lawsuit.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $203.0 billion

Novartis, a giant of pharmaceutical industry, is based in Basel, Switzerland though it serves customers all over the world. Novartis’s subsidiaries include eye care company Alcon which it currently plans to spin it off, possibly for $20 billion.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $203.0 billion

While many of the other companies on this list provide a plethora of goods and services across a wide array of consumer segments, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited knows exactly what it’s best at and sticks to it. The largest independent semiconductor foundry in the world has only been around for 40 years, and it is still under the guidance of the same man who founded it, CEO Arthur Wang.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $207.7 billion

Putting the “Big” in “Big Pharma,” Pfizer is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and the manufacturer of pills such as Viagra, Lipitor, and Lyrica. They’re also one of the biggest forces in U.S. government lobbying, spending over $10 million in 2017.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $219.4 billion

Formed in 1978, the Home Depot's first two stores opened in Atlanta and the company went public just two years later. Now operating stores in all 50 states, all 10 provinces of Canada, and Mexico, Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement retailer.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $220.2 billion

PetroChina is the listed branch of the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, which is China’s second-biggest producer of the precious, expensive commodity. One of the largest employers in all of China at more than 300,000 employees, shares of the oil giants are somewhat affordable at about $72.85

Market value in U.S. dollars: $221.3 billion

One of the most prominent of the many tech leaders based in California’s Bay Area, San Jose’s Cisco Systems is one of the biggest distributors of networking hardware on Earth. While the company was suffering from declining revenues in recent years, those figures have turned around in the last few fiscal quarters and are back on the rise again.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $229.0 billion

The United States’s largest healthcare company, UnitedHealth Group is evolving amidst a culture of large healthcare companies merging with doctors’ groups and pharmacies. It remains to be seen what changes to healthcare the Trump administration will manage besides the repeal of the individual mandate, but you can bet when UHG has skin on the game, they have lobbying money on the board.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $237.3 billion

Simply put, Nestle is the gold standard for snacking. The world’s largest food and beverage company is responsible for a handful of household brands for adults, babies, and pets alike. Some of the most popular labels include KitKat, Gerber, Nescafe, and Coffee Mate.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $246.2 billion

The biggest employer in America encourages consumers to "Save Money. Live Better" by shopping at any of its discount retail supermarkets. The largest company in the United States by total revenue has been a subject of controversy of late, as it serves as a shining example of pay inequity at humongous companies. CEO Doug McMillon earned nearly $23 million during 2017, a figure which is more than 1,180 times that of the median-earning Walmart employee.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $248.1 billion

Active in more than 180 countries around the world, Chevron is easily amongst the most powerful energy corporations on Earth. Aware of the platform it has and the capacity it holds to make the world a better place, Chevron takes corporate responsibility seriously, making active efforts to improve people’s lives, whether that be finding talented youth in impoverished parts of the world or funding disease prevention projects.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $254.8 billion

Regardless of what kind of electric device this article is being read on, there is a better than decent chance that it’s being powered in part by an Intel processor. The software company from Santa Clara has been experiencing steady growth every year, and following suit, it has taken more and more of that money, and invested it into research and development every single year since 2009.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $261.2 billion

Founded by the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China, the China Construction bank is another of China’s “big four” banks. In addition to its local branches, the bank has international locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Seoul, New York, Ho Chi Minh City, and Sydney.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $265.3 billion

Despite a widely damaging scandal revealed in 2016 concerning the creation of 1.5 million accounts and credit cards that were never approved by its users, Wells Fargo stomached the fines and remains one of the most powerful banks in America. Its Wikipedia subsection titled “Controversies” may be over 2,000 words long, but when has that stopped a mega-corporation in America?

Market value in U.S. dollars: $295.1 billion

Headquartered in Foster City, Calif., Visa is the world's largest credit card manufacturer and distributor by a healthy margin. With great profits comes great responsibility, and the company has well-documented instances on its website of the ways it provided relief to countless people in need during a handful of disasters, both natural and political.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $306.5 billion

A logo recognizable anywhere, the golden shell is indicative of one of the world’s preeminent petroleum companies. Headquartered in The Hague in the Netherlands, the company is incorporated in the U.K. and has a great many manufacturing locations in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $311.0 billion

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is the largest in the world by total assets and has been the largest in the world by market capitalization since February of 2017. The bank recently underwent a bit of an executive shakeup as the executive director and senior executive vice president Zhang Hongli announced his resignation to the board of directors on July 2.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $313.5 billion

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bank of America is another one of the “Big Four” banks in the United States, managing over two trillion dollars in assets. Originally started as the Bank of Italy in San Francisco, it was repatriated, or rather renamed, into Bank of America National Trust And Savings Association in 1930.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $325.9 billion

Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung is one of the world’s largest consumer electronics companies on Earth. Best known for its TVs, tablets, refrigerators, and other household appliances, Samsung recently received backlash for a handful of smartphones that bugged out, sending users random pictures, though the tech giant has since corrected the mistake.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $341.3 billion

The world's largest independent biotech company by market cap, Johnson & Jonson is based in New Brunswick, N.J. and offers a handful of medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and various packaged goods. Every year it releases a "Health and Humanity Report" in keeping with their primary objective of keeping "people healthy at every age and stage of life."

Market value in U.S. dollars: $344.1 billion

Before Walmart rose to prominence in American consumerism, there were decades on decades of Exxon Mobil and General Motors jockeying for the top spot on the Fortune 500. One of the world’s largest oil manufacturers, Exxon Mobil focuses on values of inclusion and diversity, which is a point it makes in the first line of the blurb on their Careers page.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $387.7 billion

Though already an incredibly valuable company in its own right, JPMorgan has grown immensely since it was acquired by Chase Manhattan back in 2000. Today it is one of America’s largest financial services provider and it houses one of the most competitive finance-based internship programs seeking out talented young people from across the country.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $491.3 billion

Worth quite more than a dime, Tencent is best known for WeChat, one of the most popular apps in the world with over 1 billion monthly active users and a variety of social media and payment features. Through QQ Games, Tencent also offers a variety of Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games and has subsidiaries in E-commerce, Video streaming, cloud computing, and several other tech sectors.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $491.9 billion

The financial giants headquartered in Omaha, Neb. simply cannot be separated from its owner Warren Buffett, the third-richest man in America. The company is incredibly successful in a large part because it is the parent company to a plethora of subsidiaries with immense success, the most famous of which include Geico and Dairy Queen.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $499.4 billion

Known for having the biggest IPO in history, Alibaba is the largest retailer and one of the biggest venture capital firms in the entire world. Founded only 19 years ago, Alibaba controls the Chinese-based retail subsidiaries Taobao and Aliexpress, along with several other cloud and AI-focused companies.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $541.5 billion

The Facebook, as it was once known, was started in a dormitory at Harvard, after founder Mark Zuckerberg’s previous site, which allowed students to compare two of their peers and determine who was more attractive, was shut down by the school. Since then, Facebook has become a symbol of the uncertain tech industry barreling forward into the world of free speech debates, geopolitics, and data security.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $750.6 billion

Formed by smashing “microcomputer” and “software” together, both name-wise and in practice, Microsoft was started by Paul Allen and Bill Gates in 1975 and now sells a variety of wares both soft and hard. Best known for the Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft also sells its Surface tablets and the popular line of Xbox video game consoles.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $766.4 billion

Better known as Google’s parent company, Alphabet has a number of subsidiaries focused on cutting-edge fields, like self-driving cars and high-speed Internet. CEO Larry Page was a co-founder of Google and is now the ninth-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $53.6 billion.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $777.8 billion

Founded in a garage by Jeff Bezos as an online bookstore, Amazon has grown into a giant of retail, selling hundreds of millions of products in the U.S. and abroad. Bezos, not content with being the richest man in the world, has pushed Amazon to create award-winning TV and film as Amazon Studios and, with the acquisition of Whole Foods, is branching out into the grocery industry. Though he also owns the Washington Post, his next destination is out of this world – literally.

Market value in U.S. dollars: $926.9 billion

Once helmed by college dropout Steve Jobs and now run by CEO Tim Cook, the iNnovators behind the iPhone, iPad, and Macintosh computers grew from a California garage into the largest company in the United States. Apple's focus on refined design and intuitive user interfaces has always propelled the company forward and made it an icon of technology, industry, and style.