Global Top 100 Companies by market capitalisation 2017

Global Top 100 reach record $17.4 trillion in PwC’s Global Top 100 companies ranking, with the US extending lead


In this report we have ranked the top 100 global companies by market capitalisation and compared how the list has evolved from March 2009 to March 2017. We have identified the risers and the fallers, looked at sector dynamics and presented a view on how the global landscape has changed.

Companies are making blind bets on innovation with billions of dollars potentially on the line. That is one of the main findings of PwC’s Innovation Benchmark, the report surveyed over 1,200 global executives and business leaders to examine how top companies are meeting innovation challenges. 
Companies are making blind bets on innovation with billions of dollars potentially on the line. That is one of the main findings of PwC’s Innovation Benchmark, the report surveyed over 1,200 global executives and business leaders to examine how top companies are meeting innovation challenges. 
Companies are making blind bets on innovation with billions of dollars potentially on the line. That is one of the main findings of PwC’s Innovation Benchmark, the report surveyed over 1,200 global executives and business leaders to examine how top companies are meeting innovation challenges. 

Key findings

  • The US extends its leading position in PwC’s Global Top 100 companies ranking while Europe continues to decline
  • The total market capitalisation of the Global Top 100 more than recouped the 2016 losses and increased by 12% from 2016 to reach a record level of $17.4 trillion
  • The US extended its leading position with 55 companies this year, up from 54 last year.  The US share by market capitalisation increased slightly to 63% (an increase of $1,292bn).  All companies in the Top 10 are US companies.
  • Europe lost a further 2 companies to 22, with a decline from 19% to 17% in share by market capitalisation (while registering a small increase in value of $35bn)
  • The UK keeps its third position with 5 companies in the Top 100, although down from 7 companies last year (following a delisting of SABMiller upon acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev and Vodafone dropping out of Top 100)
  • The share of China/HK remained largely flat at around 12%.  Two Chinese companies, Tencent and Alibaba, are at number 11 and 12, having raised their ranking significantly in 2017
  • Apple retains the pole position for the 6th year in a row, with the gap with Alphabet (ex-Google) more than doubling in the past year
  • The Technology sector has overtaken the financial sector last year and has retained the lead, closely followed by financials 

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Penelope Kourkafa

Director, Marketing & Communications, PwC Greece

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