15 Largest companies by market cap in 2024

The sizes of companies on the stock market are often measured by their market capitalization (aka, market cap), which is calculated by multiplying the stock price by the number of shares issued. When you hear investors refer to the largest companies on the stock market, they’re usually not talking about size in terms of number of employees or even necessarily gross profits; they often mean the largest companies by market cap. 

Market capitalization is considered a measure of business maturity. High-market-cap companies are typically seen as better established, with a greater market presence. Many investors believe that high-market-cap companies have a solid chance of providing reliable returns because they see them as more stable in the face of stock market volatility, with less extreme swings in the market value of their stocks.

In 2024, the 15 largest companies by market cap span multiple sectors, including energy, healthcare, financial services, and technology. And while no one sector dominates the list, over half of these companies are in or related to the tech sector; measured by market cap, the technology industry can be seen as one of the largest in the market.  

15 largest companies by market cap as of May 2024:

• Microsoft (MSFT)
• Apple (AAPL)
• NVIDIA (NVDA)
• Alphabet (GOOG)
• Saudi Armco (2222.SR)
• Amazon (AMZN)
• Meta Platforms (META)
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B)
• TSMC (TSM)
• Eli Lilly (LLY)
• Broadcom (AVGO)
• Novo Nordisk (NVO)
• JPMorgan Chase (JPM)
• Visa (V)
• Tesla (TSLA)

1. Microsoft (MSFT)

Microsoft is considered one of the wealthiest companies in the world, and is currently the largest company by market cap. The technology giant develops and licenses a wide range of software, cloud, and hardware products spanning computing, productivity, business products, gaming, AI, and more. Microsoft Windows is the world’s most widely used computer operating system, with more than 64% of the market share. Most recently, Microsoft has focused on bringing AI into its search engine, Bing. It also partnered with OpenAI’s generative image generator, DALL-E, to develop generative AI tools. 

• Market cap: $3.170 trillion
• Headquarters: Redmond, WA
• Founded: 1975
• Sector: Technology
• Company focus: Software and hardware

2. Apple (AAPL)

Apple is a technology company focused on mobile communications, media devices, computers, and related software. It’s most famous for its computers and mobile devices, like the iPhone, iPad, and Macintosh computers. But Apple’s product lines also expand into streaming, cloud storage, digital content stores, and licensing services. Most recently, Apple has stepped into augmented and virtual reality with its Apple Vision Pro headset. In 2023, Apple was the first company to hit a market cap of $3 trillion. While the company’s market capitalization has dipped a bit in the first part of 2024, it still has one of the highest market values in the world. 

• Market cap: $2.785 trillion
• Headquarters: Cupertino, CA
• Founded: 1976
• Sector: Technology
• Company focus: Software and hardware

3. NVIDIA (NVDA)

NVIDIA is a PC hardware and software company best known for producing graphics processing units (GPUs) and, most recently, AI hardware and software. Their products are used primarily in gaming, professional visualization, data centers, and automotive sectors. As of the beginning of 2024, NVIDIA had the third highest market cap and held approximately 80% of the global market share in GPU semiconductor chips. In 2022, OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot was launched, powered by 10,000 NVIDIA GPUs, connecting NVIDIA heavily to the AI market. 

• Market cap: $2.549 trillion
• Headquarters: Santa Clarita, CA
• Founded: 1993
• Sector: Technology
• Company focus: PC hardware and AI

4. Alphabet (GOOG)

Alphabet Inc. is a holding company that includes Google and what it terms “Other Bets.” Google is most well-known for its search engine, which held 95.36% of the global search market share in February 2024. Beyond search, Google has an extensive product offering, which includes multiple online services (Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google Cloud, Chrome, etc.), advertising, and hardware. The “Other Bets” part of the company’s products includes internet and television services, Google Home and Nest devices, the Pixel smartphone, and licensing and R&D services. 

• Market cap: $2.152 trillion
• Headquarters: Mountain View, CA
• Founded: 1998
• Sector: Communication services
• Company focus: Technology, internet products, advertising

5. Saudi Aramco (2222.SR)

Saudi Arabian Oil (Saudi Aramco) is an energy and chemicals company owned by the Saudi Arabian government. It is the world’s largest oil producer, with operations comprising crude oil and natural gas exploration, production, transportation, and international sales. In 2022, Saudi Aramco became the second-largest company in the world by market value; two years later, it’s still one of the largest companies by market cap.  

• Market cap: $1.933 trillion
• Headquarters: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
• Founded: 1933
• Sector: Energy
• Company focus: Energy and chemicals

6. Amazon (AMZN)

Amazon operates primarily in the e-commerce and technology sectors. It offers a wide range of products and services, most famously its Amazon.com e-commerce platform, which is the largest in the world. Amazon is also known for Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing solutions, which include machine learning, analytics and data lakes, the Internet of Things, storage, and more. Additionally, Amazon offers advertising and streaming services. 

• Market cap: $1.877 trillion
• Headquarters: Seattle, WA
• Founded: 1994
• Sector: Consumer cyclical 
• Company focus: E-commerce and cloud services

7. Meta Platforms (META)

Meta Platforms is a technology company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Meta Quest virtual reality, and Oculus. While a majority of Meta’s revenue still comes from advertising, it also develops mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality headsets, software, social media platforms, and apps. Since 2021, Meta has been investing in virtual reality through the metaverse. In 2024, Meta made significant pivots toward integrating generative AI into its other products. 

• Market cap: $1.172 trillion
• Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA
• Founded: 2004
• Sector: Communication services
• Company focus: Social media, advertising, virtual reality

8. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B)

Berkshire Hathaway is a holding company with subsidiaries in a wide range of sectors, including insurance, railroads, energy, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and finance. Insurance provider Geico is its largest subsidiary by revenue. The company is majority controlled by famed investor Warren Buffet, who became CEO in 1970. 

• Market cap: $877.07 billion
• Headquarters: Omaha, NE
• Founded: 1839
• Sector: Financial services
• Company focus: Various industries

9. TSMC (TSM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is Taiwan’s most valuable company. It manufactures, tests, and sells circuits and other semiconductors. These semiconductors are then used in a vast number of technology products, including information applications, communication systems, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics such as PCs, digital TVs, and gaming consoles. TSMC’s products are also used to power AI solutions. 

• Market cap: $812.21 billion
• Headquarters: Hsinchu, Taiwan
• Founded: 1987
• Sector: Technology
• Company focus: Integrated circuits and semiconductor products

10. Eli Lilly (LLY)

Eli Lilly researches, develops, and markets products in the human pharmaceutical and animal health sectors. It is the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, with an annual gross profit of over $27 billion in 2023. The company’s largest revenue drivers are insulin, antidepressants, and weight-loss drugs. Much of its recent growth has been attributed to the acquisition of Sigilon Therapeutics, Versanis Bio, and DICE Therapeutics in 2023. 

• Market cap: $763.46 billion
• Headquarters: Indianapolis, IN
• Founded: 1876
• Sector: Healthcare
• Company focus: Pharmaceuticals

11. Broadcom (AVGO)

Broadcom is a technology company that designs, develops, and sells semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. Its semiconductor business includes semiconductors focused on digital and mixed signals and Internet protocol (IP) licensing. Mainframe and enterprise software solutions and fiber channel storage area networking comprise the infrastructure software portion of the business line. Like many semiconductor businesses, Broadcom is capitalizing on AI investment alongside its VMware sales. 

• Market cap: $640.76 billion
• Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA
• Founded: 1961 (HP Associates), 2016 (Broadcom Limited)
• Sector: Technology
• Company focus: Semiconductor products and software

12. Novo Nordisk (NVO)

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare and pharmaceutical company focused on two primary business units: diabetes and weight-loss drugs and biopharmaceuticals. Its research and development of the in-demand drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have driven significant revenue in recent years. In 2023, it became Europe’s most valuable company, due in part to the growing popularity of  Ozempic and Wegovy. 

• Market cap: $604.69 billion
• Headquarters: Bagsværd, Denmark
• Founded: 1958
• Sector: Healthcare
• Company focus: Pharmaceuticals

13. JPMorgan Chase (JPM)

JPMorgan Chase (Chase) is the biggest bank in the U.S., with total assets worth around $3.4 trillion in 2023. Chase is engaged in consumer and community banking, corporate and investment banking, commercial banking, and asset management. This includes a wide variety of banking services (such as ATMs, online, mobile, and bank financial branches), brokerages, treasury and security products, lending, and investment and wealth management services. 

• Market cap: $565.34 billion
• Headquarters: New York, NY
• Founded: 1799
• Sector: Financial services
• Company focus: Banking and investing

14. Visa (V)

Visa is a payments technology company in the finance sector that connects consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities to electronic payments. Its products include retail electronic payment network and processing infrastructure, transaction processing services, digital products, debit and credit cards, prepaid cards, and other financial instruments. Visa is one of the top two major payment card companies by revenue, alongside Mastercard.

• Market cap: $560.50 billion
• Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
• Founded: 1958
• Sector: Financial services
• Company focus: Payment processing and financial products

15. Tesla (TSLA)

Tesla operates in two primary sectors: automotive and energy generation and storage. One of the largest electric vehicle companies in the world, Tesla develops, manufactures, and sells fully electric vehicles, many of which use AI technology. Tesla is also one of the world’s biggest suppliers of solar panels and battery energy storage systems for solar power. 

• Market cap: $554.09 billion
• Headquarters: Austin, TX
• Founded: 2003
• Sector: Consumer cyclical
• Company focus: Automotive and energy

What to consider when researching stocks

Investing in the stock market always comes with risk, and researching companies can help you decide whether buying their stock is the right choice for you. Market capitalization is one way to gauge a company’s size and maturity, but it isn’t the only factor to consider when researching stocks. 

As you decide which companies to invest in, you’ll also want to weigh factors such as:

• Company financials: revenue, gross profit, net income, P/E ratio, earnings reports
• Business factors: leadership turnover, growth strategy, competitive advantages
• Industry trends: historical and current growth, emerging innovations, news reports 

Investing in the largest companies by market cap

Individual stocks in the largest companies by market cap can be expensive; some stocks cost hundreds of dollars per share. If you use a brokerage that offers fractional shares, you can purchase a portion of a single share, which can make investing in large-market-cap companies more accessible.  

Another option is to invest in an S&P 500 index fund or ETF. The S&P 500 tracks the 500 largest companies by market cap in the U.S. These index funds allow you to invest in a basket of companies in the S&P 500, providing diversity for your portfolio and giving you exposure to some of the largest companies even if you don’t have a big budget for investing.

If you invest with Stash, you can buy fractional shares of the largest companies by market cap, invest in a fund that tracks the S&P 500, or both. And you can get started today no matter what your budget.

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