FX.co ★ Ten leading international companies

According to estimates of Forbes and its Global2000 rating, which includes the world's largest public companies, the first place is occupied by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

The shares of this financial institution belong to the government of the PRC. Eleven years ago, it held the world's largest IPO and attracted a record $22 billion, placing 48.4 billion shares (18% of the total). This bank controls the fifth of the banking sector of the Middle Kingdom.

The second place in this rating of Forbes is also taken by the Chinese bank, China Construction Bank. Previously, the financial institution was subordinated to the Ministry of Finance of the PRC and served to distribute funds for the construction and development of infrastructure. At present, China Construction Bank has 14,925 branches in the territory of the mainland China and at least 10 branches outside the country.

The third place among the world's largest public companies is held by Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company from the United States. It is considered a managing company for most financial institutions in various industries. Over the past 44 years, the average annual growth in its book value has reached 20.3% with a minimum debt. The permanent chairman of the company's board is the legendary investor Warren Buffett.

The fourth place in this list remains for JPMorgan Chase, a financial conglomerate created as a result of the merger of several large US banks.

The scope of the company includes consumer and public banking, corporate, investment and commercial banking, as well as asset management.

The fifth place among the leading international companies was given to Wells Fargo, a banking corporation that provides financial and insurance services in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The financial institution got into the so-called "Big Four" of the largest US banks, along with Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase.

The organization has 8,600 branches and 13,000 ATMs, serving more than 40 million retail customers and 3 million small businesses. Last year, the total value of loans issued reached $967.6 billion, and the value of deposits - $1.3 trillion.

The sixth place in the ranking of Forbes is held by Agricultural Bank of China, recognized as one of the largest financial institutions of the country. As a result of the listing held seven years ago on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges, the bank managed to raise over $19.2 billion.

In the territory of mainland China, the organization has 23,600 branches and 19,700 offices. The financial institution also owns 14 subsidiaries, 6 of them abroad, including Russia.

The seventh place in the list of the largest public companies in the world is taken by Bank of America, a financial conglomerate from the United States, offering an extensive range of services to individuals and legal entities. The financial institutional operates in all 50 states, as well as in 35 other countries around the globe.

However, in the history of the bank, there are also negative moments. For example, according to an agreement with the US Department of Justice, Bank of America Corporation must pay a fine of $16.65 billion to avoid litigation over its violations when selling mortgage-backed securities in the pre-crisis period.

The eighth place in this list is given to Bank of China, the oldest financial institution in the country and the second largest in the Middle Kingdom. Eleven years ago, it held an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, earning over 8 billion euros in the end. The controlling stake in its shares belongs to the government.

At the moment, Bank of China is one of the five largest state-owned banks in the country, as well as one of the top 20 global banks, with 13,000 offices in China and 550 offices in 25 other countries.

The ninth place among the world's largest public companies is given to the famous Apple Inc., an American corporation that produces personal and tablet computers, phones and software. It is the leader and pioneer in the field of PCs and modern multi-tasking operating systems with a graphical interface. The development of innovative technologies has lifted the company to the top of success in the consumer electronics industry.

In the tenth place in this Forbes list is Toyota Motor Corporation, the leading Japanese automotive corporation. In addition, it offers financial services and develops a number of promising areas in business. It is the largest automaker in the world and the largest public company of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Toyota Motor Corporation is the main representative of Toyota Group. The main direction of its activity is the production and sale of passenger cars and lorries.