The Biggest Companies in Europe
In this article, we’ll take a look at the biggest companies in Europe. We will firstly rank the top 10 largest companies in Europe by market cap, before highlighting the largest European companies by revenue.
Table of Contents
Largest Companies in Europe by Market Cap
In the following sections, we’ll take a look at each of the top 10 largest companies in Europe by market cap.
1. Novo Nordisk
At the top of the list is Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk which, as well as being the biggest company in Europe, is also the 14th largest company in the world at the time of writing.
Novo Nordisk specialises in diabetes treatments and has been around since 1923. However, its share price has soared in recent years thanks to spiralling demand for its diabetes and weight loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy.
2. ASML
Second on the list of the largest European companies is Dutch technology company ASML.
ASML is the only company in the world which designs and manufactures extreme ultraviolet lithography photolithography machines, which are required to make the most advanced computer chips.
3. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
LVMH is a French multinational holding and conglomerate company which specialises in luxury goods. As well as its namesake brands, LVMH owns a whole range of other world renowned luxury brands including Dom Pérignon, TAG Heuer and Tiffany & Co.
4. Nestlé
Nestlé is the largest publicly traded food company in the world and the fourth largest company in Europe by market capitalisation. Its sprawling food and drink empire is made up of more than 2,000 brands, including renowned names such as Nescafé, Cheerios, Kit Kat and Haagen-Dazs.
5. Roche
Roche is a Swiss healthcare company operating under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. It also wholly owns US biotechnology company Genentech.
6. AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company which is probably best known for its role in developing the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine that was used around the world during the pandemic.
Besides the Covid-19 vaccine, the company has a wide line up of products in areas including oncology, diabetes and respiratory diseases.
7. SAP
SAP is a German software company which develops software to manage business operations and customer relations.
8. Hermès
Hermès is a French luxury designer operating a number of goods divisions which include leather goods, watches and silk and textiles.
9. L’Oréal
L’Oréal is a French consumer goods group and the largest cosmetics manufacturer in the world. Amongst its brands, L’Oréal counts Maybelline, Garnier and Ralph Lauren Fragrances.
10. Novartis
Novartis is a Swiss pharmaceutical company which was formed in 1996 from a merger between Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Its top selling product is Entresto, a medicine used to combat heart failure.
Largest European Companies by Revenue
So, now we have seen the biggest European companies in terms of market capitalisation, what about revenue? The table below reveals the largest companies in Europe by revenue. For the purposes of this list, we will examine revenue generated in the year ending 31 December 2023.
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FAQ
What is the biggest company in Europe?
The biggest company in Europe by market capitalisation is Novo Nordisk. However, in terms of revenue, the biggest European company is Volkswagen.
What is Europe's second largest listed company?
The second largest listed company in Europe by market cap is ASML. However, in terms of revenue, Shell is the second largest listed European company.
What is Europe's most valuable tech firm?
ASML is Europe’s most valuable tech firm in terms of market capitalisation and the second largest company in Europe overall.
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