Most profitable companies: Each year, Fortune releases its ranking of the world’s largest 500 corporations, according to the revenue generated in the previous fiscal year. But which of these corporations has proved to be the most profitable? Generating a high amount of revenue is one thing, but making a profit is an entirely different matter. Even though it is presumable that a company with a substantial revenue makes an impressive profit, the two figures are not necessarily proportional. Some corporations may have higher running costs, which can significantly diminish their profit margin. Similarly, others may have a lower revenue, but can compensate with low running costs, which equals a higher profit.
With this being said, we would like to present you with a list of the most profitable companies to the world, according to the figures generated in the fiscal year that has ended on March 31st 2013. In compiling the top ten, we have used data issued by Fortune 500, in a style similar to our coverage of the globe’s fastest growing companies.
The number one corporation in terms of revenue, as ranked by Fortune, is the Netherlands-based Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), which did make our countdown, but only ranked as the 5th most profitable company in the world. When Exxon and Mobil decided to merge back in 1999 into Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), they apparently made a great decision, as it is now the most profitable corporation in the world, surpassing consumer electronics giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
It is also interesting to note that, out of the ten corporations listed in our countdown, four are Chinese financial institutions.
Wondering who else has made the countdown? Let’s take a look at the world’s most profitable companies: