Market capitalization (market cap) refers to the total market value of a publicly traded company’s outstanding shares of stock. It is an important indicator of a company’s financial health and competitive position in the industry. In this article, we will take a look at the top UK companies ranked by market capitalization as of 2021.
1. BP plc – Market Capitalization: £74.8 billion
BP plc is a multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in 1909 and has since become one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. BP operates in more than 70 countries and produces approximately 3 million barrels of oil per day.
2. Royal Dutch Shell plc – Market Capitalization: £54.5 billion
Royal Dutch Shell plc is a multinational oil and gas company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with its main operations based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1907 through the merger of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and the Shell Transport and Trading Company.
3. JPMorgan Chase & Co – Market Capitalization: £40.5 billion
JPMorgan Chase & Co is a multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in New York City, United States. It was founded in 1891 as the Guaranty Trust Company and later merged with other banks to become one of the largest and most diversified financial institutions in the world.
4. HSBC Holdings plc – Market Capitalization: £37.6 billion
HSBC Holdings plc is a multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in 1849 as the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation and later expanded its operations to become one of the world’s largest banks.
5. GlaxoSmithKline plc – Market Capitalization: £32.1 billion
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in London, England. It was formed in 2008 through the merger of GlaxoWelcome and SmithKline Beecham. Today, it is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, with a diverse portfolio of products that treat a range of diseases and conditions.
6. Barclays Bank PLC – Market Capitalization: £30.9 billion
Barclays Bank PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in 1698 as John Perkins Barclay and has since become one of the world’s largest banks, with operations in over 50 countries.
7. Standard Chartered plc – Market Capitalization: £23.4 billion
Standard Chartered plc is a multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in 1690 as the British East India Company’s trading arm and has since become one of the world’s largest banks, with operations in over 80 countries.
8. Nestle SA – Market Capitalization: £22.6 billion
Nestle SA is a multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, but with its main operations based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1905 through the merger of Peter-Cailler-Kohler Chocolats Suisses S.A., Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, and Farine Lactée Suisse S.A.
9. PepsiCo Beverages North America Inc – Market Capitalization: £20.6 billion
PepsiCo Beverages North America Inc is a multinational beverage corporation headquartered in New York City, United States.
