The European continent is an economic powerhouse, with the third-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita among all continents. Western Europe dominates the continent’s economy, although the Eastern part is also growing significantly.

Europe houses some of the most prominent companies globally. We want to examine the top ten European companies by market capitalization*. They include:

1. Novo Nordisk (Denmark)

Novo Nordisk is a Danish pharmaceutical company listed on the Nasdaq Copenhagen exchange. It manufactures many well-known drugs, including blockbuster anti-obesity medications Ozempic and Wegovy.

Novo has a market capitalization of $463bn. Its biggest shareholder is the Novo Nordisk Foundation with a 28% stake. The foundation funds medical treatment and research and is the world’s wealthiest charitable foundation.

2. LVMH (France)

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is a French luxury goods conglomerate. French entrepreneur Bernard Arnault took control of his father’s civil engineering company and transformed it into a luxury goods conglomerate over decades, giving him a net worth of roughly $180bn (Bloomberg Billionaires Index), primarily from his nearly 50% stake in LVMH.

LVMH has a market capitalization of $408bn. The company trades on the Euronext Paris exchange.

3. ASML (Netherlands)

ASML is a semiconductor equipment manufacturer. It builds sophisticated lithography machines used to manufacture microchips. The company is dual-listed on the Nasdaq and Euronext Amsterdam exchanges. It has a market value of $300bn.

4. L’Oréal (France)

L’Oréal is a personal care and cosmetic products giant. It manufactures hair care and skin care products, make-up, perfume, sunscreen, etc. It was founded in the early 20th century by French chemist Eugène Schueller, whose granddaughter currently controls the company.

L’Oréal has a market value of $266bn. Its shares trade on the Euronext Paris exchange.

5. Hermès (France)

Hermès is a French luxury goods brand founded in the 19th century by Thierry Hermès. The Hermès family still controls a majority stake (54%) in the company worth over $100bn.

Hermès is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange. It has a market value of $224bn.

6. Accenture (Ireland)

Accenture is an information technology (IT) services and consulting firm headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. It employs over 700,000 people globally, representing the largest headcount among the top ten most valuable European companies.

Accenture is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It has a market capitalization of $221bn.

7. SAP (Germany)

SAP is a German enterprise software company. It was founded in 1972 by a group of entrepreneurs and morphed into Europe’s largest software company over decades. SAP shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It has a market value of $182bn.

8. TotalEnergies (France)

TotalEnergies is a French oil and gas giant with $281bn in sales in its most recent fiscal year. It is a vertically integrated company whose business touches the entire oil and gas supply chain, from exploration to refining, transportation, power generation, and product marketing.

TotalEnergies has a market value of $163bn. Its shares trade on the Euronext Paris exchange.

9. Siemens (Germany)

Siemens is a German engineering and technology conglomerate with over 300,000 employees. It is Europe’s largest industrial manufacturer with a diverse product portfolio ranging from electrical installation systems to power plants to refrigerators.

Siemens trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It has a market capitalization of $148bn.

10. Inditex (Spain)

Inditex is a Spanish fashion giant best known for its chain of Zara and Bershka clothing stores. It was founded in the 1960s by entrepreneur Amancio Ortega, who owns 59% of the publicly-traded company’s shares.

Inditex has a market value of $136bn.

*Market capitalization as of writing

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