Despite rising internet rates, crippling inflation, political issues such as the Russian-Ukraine war, and even a potential global recession, some companies thrived in 2022. This is due to their distinct advantages, seeking shelter in place.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the world’s top ten largest public companies as of 2022. However, it is essential to note that ranking these companies is dependent on the metric used.
Market capitalization VS market value.
Market value and market capitalization are two terms that are frequently used and confused when discussing a company’s profitability and viability. They are both metrics that can be used to rank companies.
Market capitalization, also known as market cap, is a simple metric based on the stock price. It is a company’s worth based on the total value of all its shares.
Market value, on the other hand, is what a company is worth in a much broader context that is far more complicated and nuanced.
To determine market value, numerous metrics and multiple, such as the company’s price-to-sales ratio, price to earnings ratio, or return on equity can be used.
The world’s largest public companies by market capitalization in 2022.
As of July 2022, the world’s top ten public companies had a combined market capitalization of nearly 12 trillion.
By far the world’s largest economy is the united states, which has nine of the top ten largest public companies in the world.
A shift in important industries and contributors is a major reason, reason for the united states’ dominance in market values.
Companies in technology and energy are among the most valuable in the world in 2022. 20 of the world’s largest companies are in technology, with a combined market value of 9.2 trillion. The top ten largest companies in terms of market capitalization that thrived in 2022 are listed below.
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1). APPLE
Today, Apple is the most valuable company in the world, with a $ 2.3 trillion valuation.
Apple creates, manufactures, and sells a wide range of consumer tech products, including smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearable devices, home entertainment systems and more.
The iPhone smartphone and the mac computers are the two of the companies’ most popular products.
It was founded in the year 1976 by 3 tech wizards; Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and steve jobs. Apple has also significantly increased its service sales. It runs digital content stores and, offers cloud for payment services, for recently introduced Apple TV + a streaming services for on-demand entertainment context.
2). Microsoft
Microsoft, based in the united states, is the list’s second-largest multinational estimated to be $ 1.9 trillion.
Founded in 1975 by bill gates and paul Alle. Microsoft is a world leader in the personal computer software market.
The Microsoft windows operating system was a runaway success, generating enormous profits for the company.
Microsoft is a software, device, solution, and service provider with a global presence.
3). Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco is an oil and gas exploration, refinery, and trading company.
The company also has a chemical division that produces aromatics and olefins as well as more complex products like synthetic rubber.
With a market cap of $ 1.8 trillion, Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest publicly traded company. It is the only non-American company in the top ten.
In 2019, Saudi Aramco went public for the first time. It is the first time. It is also the world’s largest Oil producer today.
4). Alphabet
Alphabet Inc, Google’s parent company, has a market capitalization of $ 1.2 trillion making it the world’s fourth large corporation.
Among the technologies and digital services provided by the company, includes search, the Android smartphone operating system, the chrome browser, the Gmail email services, the Google Drive Online file storage platform, Google Maps, Google Photos, the Google Play app store, and youtube.
In addition, the company offers cloud services via Google cloud, which allows developers to create and deploy applications, as well as a variety of workspace collaboration tools.
Alphabet’s other Bets segment includes emerging businesses such as way mo, a self-driving car company.
5). Amazon
Amazon.com is a global eCommerce retailer that sells a wide variety of products and services. It is also the world’s largest provider of cloud computing services.
It is an American multinational tech company with a market cap of $ 924 billion.
It was founded in 1994 in the garage of Jeff Benzos, the world’s richest person.
Amazon began as an online marketplace company that sold books and later expanded to sell almost everything needed in today’s world on its online portal, including video games, apparel, furniture, shoes, computers, and consumer electronics.
6). Berkshire Hathway
The company is a large American conglomerate holding company based in the U.S It was founded 182 years ago, in the year 1839 as a textle manufacturing company. With its market cap of $ 686 billion, it ranks seventh among the world’s leading enterprises in terms of market cap.
Today the company owns a large number of subsidiaries involved in a wide range of business activities, such as insurance, freight rail transportation, retailing, utility, and energy generation for distribution.
The company also has manufacturing operations that produce products for industrial construction, and consumer use.
7). Tesla
Tesla is an American automotive and energy company that is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. The company has a market capitalization of $ 522 billion.
Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded it in 2003. However, present CEO Elon Musk is the face of the company, and a major shareholder with a 22% stake in Tesla.
8). United Health Group
United Health Group ( UHG ) is a healthcare insurance company based in the U.S with a market capitalization of $ 510 billion.
It was founded in 1977 and provided health care services as well as insurance. It is the world’s largest insurance company in terms of net premiums collected.
9). Johnson and Johnson
J & J is an American pharmaceutical company with a $ 465 billion market cap that manufactures medical devices, drugs, vaccines, and baby care products.
Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, and Edward Mead Johnson founded it in 1886. J & J has 250 subsidiaries companies operating in 60 countries.
10). Visa
Visa is a Califonia-based financial services company with $ 24.1 billion in revenue as of 2021. Through its popular credit cards, debit cards, and prepared cards, visa paves the way for electric fund transfers worldwide.
Visa provides a payment platform for financial institutions to offer customers credit, debt, and prepared cards. Visa processes 150 million transactions per day. It has a $ 454 billion market capitalization.
Sectors with the most economic influence.
Even as market values in technology remain dominant, three of the top ten largest public companies in the world were in the technology sector.
Following technology is the consumer discretionary and healthcare sectors, which include major players such as Amazon and Johnson and Johnson.
The Bottom line
Today’s most valuable corporation is worth several trillion dollars. This makes these large companies more valuable than some countries’ entire economies.
As the year comes to a close, it will be interesting to see how things play out in 2023 and which companies ( if any ). Will they stay on top despite the turmoil, or will they face even more difficult conditions ahead?