Top 25 companies in the world

The Forbes Global 2000 are public companies

with the top composite scores based on their
rankings for sales, profits, assets and market value
The Forbes Global 2000 are public companies with the top composite scores based on their
rankings for sales, profits, assets and market value. In our ninth annual ranking, Exxon Mobil is in
the top spot for the first time.
Exxon Mobile
Country: U.S.Industry: Oil & Gas OperationsExxon Mobil supplanted JP Morgan Chase as the
world's biggest company in our composite ranking this year. Its double-digit growth in sales and
profits helped propel it to the top spot for the first time in the Forbes Global 2000's nine-year
history.
JPMorgan Chase
Country: U.S. Industry: Banking After a two-year reign as the world's biggest company on our
list, JPMorgan Chase took a back seat to Exxon Mobil. Despite a slight decline in sales in 2011,
it is the most profitable U.S. bank on our list.
General Electric
Country: U.S.Industry: Conglomerates Broad-based economic softness, especially in parts of
Europe, appears to be hurting most of GEs operating segments. Despite that, there appear to
be numerous pockets of strength that the conglomerate is poised to capitalize on. Infrastructure
orders have picked up considerably in the past few quarters, and have even enabled the
company to expand its backlog to a record level of about $200 billion.
Royal Dutch Shell
Country: Netherlands Industry: Oil & Gas Operations .Royal Dutch Shell claims the top spot in
sales with 28% sales growth, knocking off perennial leader Wal Mart-Stores. It operates in more
than 80 countries, producing 3.2 million barrels of gas and oil a day.
ICBC
Country: China Industry: Banking Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is one of four Chinese
banks among the Top 25. They rose two spots from a year ago and is the biggest Asia-Pacific
company.
HSBC Holdings
Country: U.K. Industry: Banking 2011 was a year of major progress for HSBC, gaining traction in
the 1st year of 3-year strategy to reshape the Group, improve returns and position itself for
growth. HSBC recorded a strong performance in faster-growing markets and had a record year
in commercial banking.
PetroChina
Country: China Industry: Oil & Gas Operations.The most valuable Asian company on the list. In
2011, produced 2.4 million barrels of oil per day, surpassing Exxon Mobil for the first time.
Berkshire Hathaway
Country: U.S. Industry: Diversified Financial sIts major businesses did well last year. In fact,
each of their five largest non-insurance companies BNSF, Iscar, Lubrizol, Marmon Group
and MidAmerican Energy delivered record operating earnings.
Wells Fargo
Country: U.S. Industry: Banking .The second biggest U.S. bank on our list behind JPMorgan
Chase. Wells Fargo reported record earnings in 2011 and jumped two spots on our list this year.
Petrobras
Country: Brazil Industry: Oil & Gas Operations. The fourth largest energy company and also
the biggest company in Brazil. A leader in the Brazilian oil industry, they have expanded
operations aiming to be among the top five integrated energy companies in the world by
2020.
BP
Country: U.K.Industry: Oil & Gas Operations The scope of this turnaround ranks among the more
incredible corporate comeback stories in business history. Since last year BP has risen a
remarkable 379 spots to 11th place on The Forbes Global 2000. Key to the climb is a return to
profitability in 2011, reversing 2010's $3.3 billion net loss to posting $26 billion in net income.
Chevron
Country: U.S. Industry: Oil & Gas Operations Chevron reported record earnings in 2011 thanks to
rising oil prices. This enabled the second-biggest U.S. energy company on our list to move up
four places this year.
China Construction Bank
Country: China Industry: Banking The second biggest Chinese bank on the list moved up four
spots on the strength of double-digit growth in sales and earnings. It rolling out a major
expansion of its domestic branch network in an effort to reach more consumers. The bank plans
to open about 2,000 new branches over five years through mid-2016, or roughly 400 a year.
Citigroup
Country: U.S. Industry: Banking Dropped out of the top ten this year. Citigroup's sales are
down 8% from 2010 and the stock price is down 16% over the past year.
Gazprom
Country: Russia Industry: Oil & Gas Operations Gazprom is among Russias five largest oil
producers and it is the largest owner of power generating assets in the country. These assets
account for 17 % of the total installed capacity of the national energy system.
Wal-Mart Stores
Country: U.S. Industry: Retailing Wal-Mart was knocked out of the top sales spot by Royal
Dutch Shell this year, falling two spots in overall ranks. It is by far the biggest employer on our
list with 2.2 million associates worldwide.
Volkswagen Group
Country: Germany Industry: Consumer Durables Volkswagen jumped seven places this year
on the strength of triple-digit earnings growth in 2011. It is the world's biggest automaker
on the Global 2000.
Total
Country: France Industry: Oil & Gas Operations Total is Europe's sixth biggest company and one
of nine oil & gas companies in the Top 25. Despite its double-digit growth in sales and earnings
in 2011, Total only moved up one spot from a year ago.
Agricultural Bank of China
Country: China Industry: Banking The third biggest Chinese bank on our list behind ICBC and
China Construction Bank. Ag Bank saw double-digit growth in three of our four metrics; sales,
profits and assets.
BNP Paribas
Country: France Industry: Banking With a presence in 80 countries, BNP Paribas is committed
to its four domestic marketsFrance, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourgwhich boast a population
of 140 million.
In 2011, outstanding loans made by the Group in its four domestic markets grew 5.1%.
Bank of China
Country: China Industry: Banking .This is the fourth biggest Chinese bank and stayed at No. 21
this year. In 2011, BOC ranked 9th among the world's top 1,000 banks by tier one capital (a
core measure of a bank's financial strength), according to The Banker magazine.
Apple
Country: U.S. Industry: Technology Hardware & Equipment Apple, the second most
profitable company in the world, unseats Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company in the
world this year. Could it hit $1 trillion?
Banco Santander
Country: Spain Industry: Banking In 2011, saw earnings decline 37% from 2010. This led to the
biggest drop in overall rank on our Top 25 from No. 13 to No. 23.
Sinopec-China Petroleum
Country: China Industry: Oil & Gas Operations China's second biggest energy company . Asia's
biggest oil refiner. It is now fourth in overall sales, sitting right behind Exxon Mobil.
Toyota Motor
Country: Japan Industry: Consumer Durables Toyota is the second biggest automaker and
biggest Japanese company. Its sales and earnings growth last year was good enough for it
to jump 30 spots in ranks to rank among the Top 25 this year.