Biggest companies in the world by market cap
Guide Summary
- Market cap refers to the total value of a company’s outstanding shares in the market.
- U.S. based technology companies currently hold the majority of the top ten global companies by market cap.
- The top ten biggest companies all have a market cap of over $1 trillion.
What are the biggest companies in the world by market cap?
This list ranks the world’s biggest companies by market capitalisation — the cumulative value of a company's total outstanding market shares. We’ll also be highlighting other key figures, such as the company's revenue, gross profit, and 1-year return (all based on the previous fiscal year).
Some other key facts such as the exchange the company is listed on, the founding year and country the company is headquartered in are also covered.
1. NVIDIA Corp.
- Market cap: $4.39 trillion
- Revenue: $148.51 billion
- Gross profit: $104.12 billion
- 1-yr return: +42.87%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 1993
- Country: United States
NVIDIA designs powerful chip solutions supplying various innovative industries:
- AI and datacentres: GPUs that companies like Microsoft and Google use to build AI services.
- Gaming: ‘GeForce’ graphics cards that power high-quality video games on PCs.
- Professional & Automotive: Chips for film special effects, car infotainment systems, and self-driving technology.
2. Microsoft Corp.
- Market cap: $3.75 trillion
- Revenue: $281.72 billion
- Gross profit: $193.89 billion
- 1-yr return: +20.93%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 1975
- Country: United States
Microsoft’s software offers a range of services to businesses and consumers:
- Cloud computing: Supply computer power and storage to businesses using their Azure software.
- Software: The Windows operating system and Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) powers PCs and productivity for businesses and consumers.
- Gaming: Own Xbox and major gaming franchises like Call of Duty.
- Other: Invest in AI with their OpenAI partnership and own professional social network LinkedIn.
3. Apple Inc.
- Market cap: $3.37 trillion
- Revenue: $408.63 billion
- Gross profit: $190.74 billion
- 1-yr return: +0.67%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 1976
- Country: United States
Apple are a global giant in consumer electronics and digital services:
- Consumer electronics: iPhone, Mac computers, iPads, the Apple Watch, and AirPods.
- Services: App Store, Apple Music, iCloud storage, and Apple TV+.
4. Alphabet Inc. (Google)
- Market cap: $2.53 trillion
- Revenue: $371.21 billion
- Gross profit: $218.73 billion
- 1-yr return: +25.58%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 2015
- Country: United States
Most of Alphabets revenue comes from advertising on its Google Search and Youtube platforms:
- Google Search & Ads: Core revenue stream comes from selling ads on their search engine and network of other websites.
- Android: Operating system with widespread applications in mobile devices.
- Youtube: World’s largest online video platform, generating revenue from advertising on videos.
- Google Cloud: Cloud computing business that competes with Microsoft and Amazon.
- Other bets: Series of investments in future facing projects (Access, Calico, CapitalG, GV, Verily, Waymo, and X)
5. Amazon.com Inc.
- Market cap: $2.43 trillion
- Revenue: $670.04 billion
- Gross profit: $332.38 billion
- 1-yr return: +28.53%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 1994
- Country: United States
Amazon’s two main revenue streams are its world leading online store and cloud computing services:
- E-Commerce: Amazon generates profit from selling its own products and charging commission to sellers on their platform. They also make money from advertising on the site and their Amazon Prime subscription services.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): Largest revenue source for Amazon comes from its market leading cloud computing services — clients include Netflix and NASA.
6. Meta Platforms Inc.
- Market cap: $1.89 trillion
- Revenue: $178.8 billion
- Gross profit: $146.53 billion
- 1-yr return: +40.30%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 2004
- Country: United States
The social media giant that owns Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp — nearly all of its revenue comes from the highly targeted advertising that reaches its user base.
- Targeted ads: Driven by data collected from their users base that allows advertisers to target different user groups.
- The Metaverse: Investing billions of dollars developing virtual and augmented reality hardware and software.
7. Saudi Arabian Oil Co.
- Market cap: $1.53 trillion
- Revenue: $460.55 billion
- Gross profit: $217.87 billion
- 1-yr return: –14.29%
- Exchange: Saudi Exchange
- Year founded: 1933
- Country: Saudi Arabia
State-owned energy giant that is one of the largest and most profitable oil producers in the world:
- Exploration and extraction: Identifying, drilling and pumping sources of crude oil and natural gas, benefitting from having some of the lowest production costs in the world.
- Refinement and distribution: Refining crude oil into products like petrol, diesel, and chemicals, which are then sold globally.
8. Broadcom Inc.
- Market cap: $1.38 trillion
- Revenue: $57.03 billion
- Gross profit: $35.21 billion
- 1-yr return: +78.29%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 1961
- Country: United States
Technology company designing chips for networking and smartphones, and sells essential software to large corporations.
- Semiconductors (Chips): They design and sell a wide range of chips essential for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in smartphones (key supplier for Apple), as well as networking equipment in data centers.
- Cloud services: Large software companies (like VMware) that supply big businesses with IT and cloud computing infrastructure on a subscription basis.
9. Tesla Inc.
- Market cap: $1.12 trillion
- Revenue: $92.72 billion
- Gross profit: $16.21 billion
- 1-yr return: –11.15%
- Exchange: Nasdaq
- Year founded: 2003
- Country: United States
Tesla is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, with further focus on energy and artificial intelligence.
- Electric cars: Main source of revenue and profit comes from their line of EVs like the Model Y, Model 3, Model X and Cybertruck.
- Energy generation & storage: Renewable energy for consumers and businesses from solar panels and batteries — the Powerwall for homes and Megapack for utility companies.
- Future goals: A large portion of Tesla’s valuation is based on future plans for technology like full self-driving technology and developing humanoid robots.
10. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
- Market cap: $1.05 trillion
- Revenue: $370.15 billion
- Gross profit: $89.41 billion
- 1-yr return: +8.04%
- Exchange: New York Stock Exchange
- Year founded: 1893
- Country: United States
A huge holdings company that owns and invests in a diverse network of businesses.
- Owns companies: Key examples include GEICO (car insurance), BNSF (major American railway) and Duracell (batteries). The profits of all these companies flow into Berkshire.
- Invests in stocks: They own a huge stock portfolio with large holdings in Apple, American Express, Bank of America and the Coca-Cola Company.
- The Model: They use cash from their businesses profits and stock growth to buy more businesses and stock, creating a powerful cycle of long-term growth.
What are the biggest companies by total annual revenue?
- Walmart: $680.00 billion
- Amazon: $637.96 billion
- Saudi Arabian Oil Co.: $479.17 billion
- UnitedHealth Group: $400.28 billion
- Apple: $391.04 billion
What are the biggest companies by workforce?
- Walmart: 2.1 million
- Amazon.com: 1.56 million
- BYD: 968,870
- Accenture: 774,000
- Volkswagen: 679,470
Summary
Understanding a company's performance is crucial; it's how you truly know what you own. These metrics directly drive the value of your stocks and funds. When you understand these key drivers, you can navigate market changes with confidence, rather than just reacting to headlines.
Next we’ll be looking at the biggest companies in the United Kingdom by market cap.
All market data sourced from TradingView as of 26.08.2025.
When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than your original investment. Chip does not offer financial advice and this should not be considered as a personal recommendation.