Here the annual ranking for the world's biggest companies by Fortune.com for the year 2010.
1. Wal-Mart Stores. Despite the global recession, the discount retailer’s bargain prices lured consumers worldwide under new President and CEO Michael Duke. Wal-Mart continued expanding globally, reaching further into Asian markets, and it completed its biggest Latin-America acquisition: a controlling interest in Chile’s largest grocer, Distribucion y Servicio.
2. Royal Dutch Shell. While Europe’s biggest oil company fell out of the Global 500’s top spot, its earnings beat those of rivals ExxonMobil and BP. The recession cut energy demand, causing prices to fall far below their record highs of 2008, but CEO Peter Voser took bold steps to make the company more competitive, selling assets, merging divisions and cutting jobs.
3. Exxon Mobil. ExxonMobil may have trailed Royal Dutch Shell on our list, but solid revenue helped it outstep BP. The recession meant the oil and gas company faced the same challenges as its peers, but ExxonMobil still continued to expand its global reach into emerging markets. It completed a $5 billion refining complex in China’s Fujian province, which will expand production of diesel and other refined products to meet the region’s growing demands.
4. BP. BP rounds out the top three energy companies on our list. Despite lower demand and falling prices, it managed to post hefty profits. It's also moving forward with a handful of new projects including a site in Indonesia that is expected to generate about 7.6 million tons of liquefied natural gas for export per year. Read also Revenge the BP oil spill with vuvuzelas.
5. Toyota. 2009 was annus horribilis for Toyota. The world’s largest automaker faced declining global vehicle demand, a stronger Japanese yen, and worst of all, a string of embarrassing recalls that reached ten million worldwide. Read Husband, don't buy a Toyota VIOS for your wife.
6. Japan Post Holdings. Japan Post Holdings Co. climbed five notches on our list, despite a turbulent 2009: Japan’s new government scrapped plans to privatize the agency that combines mail delivery with banking and insurance services. In 2007, a previous administration split Japan Post into four parts -- banking, insurance, mail delivery and over-the-counter-services -- to make it easier to sell to private hands by 2017. But the new administration scaled the plan back as part of an effort to stem privatization and also dropped a proposed public offering.
7. Sinopec. China’s second-largest refining and gas company is trying to get a little greener in the new decade. In 2009, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, also known as Sinopec Group, cut its CO2 emissions by 16.3%, meeting its energy-saving goal a year earlier than planned. The company is also actively exploring alternative and renewable energy sources.
8. China State Grids. State Grid Corporation serves as China’s primary power grid builder and operator, supplying power to millions. Since its founding in 2002, the company has become increasingly involved in power industry reform, technology exchange, and environmental conservation development.
9. AXA. French insurance giant AXA is shrugging off lower margins and slower growth in the U.K., where it has a customer base of 10 million, in favor of expanded business in the East. A $4.1 billion sale of its British life and savings units to buyout fund Resolution could provide cash for growth as it expands its life insurance and wealth-management businesses.
10. China National Petroleum. China National Petroleum is its nation’s largest state-owned oil and gas producer. Since its founding in 1988, the company has expanded across 12 countries from Asia to Africa to South America. It has 14 large oil and gas field enterprises, 14 large-scale refining and petrochemical companies, and R&D units located across China.
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