Top companies in the world by market capitalization 2020

With a market value of 1.68 trillion U.S. dollars, Saudi Aramco led the ranking of the world’s largest companies in 2019. Some of the most recognizable companies in the world, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet (Google) followed, rounding out the top five. Saudi Aramco also led the way in 2019 as the world's most profitable company, with a net income of 88.21 billion U.S. dollars.

Determining value

Market value and market capitalization are two terms frequently heard when discussing the profitability and viability of companies. Put simply, market capitalization, or market cap, is the worth of a company based on stock price; an important metric when determining value for potential trading opportunities.

Market value, however, is what a company is worth in a much broader context and can change greatly depending on the business cycle. It is determined by multiple factors, including stockholder equity, corporate debt, and the market environment as a whole.

The world’s top companies

In fiscal year 2019, Apple’s global revenue stood at 260.17 billion U.S. dollars, but somewhat surprisingly, did not manage to crack the top ten of companies with the largest revenue. The American multinational retailer Walmart led the way as the largest company in the world when considering revenue and employment.