Today, FORTUNE announced the 66th FORTUNE 500, its annual list of the largest corporations in the United States, ranked by revenue for the 2019 fiscal year. Additionally, FORTUNE and Qlik, the official analytics partner of the FORTUNE 500, have launched the “History of the FORTUNE 500” interactive site. This visual experience, developed by Qlik, takes users on a journey through the FORTUNE 500, and enables guided exploration of data related to company revenues, the historical events that shaped them, and the industry sector status and changes that have emerged.
The revenue threshold for making the 2020 FORTUNE 500 list was $5.7 billion, up 1% from last year. In total, FORTUNE 500 companies represent two-thirds of the U.S. GDP with $14.2 trillion in revenues (up 4%), $1.2 trillion in profits (up 8%), $20.4 trillion in market value (down 10%), and employ 29.2 million people worldwide.
After years of investment in its technology and stores, Walmart has indisputably emerged as a strong No. 2 to Amazon in U.S. e-commerce, with sales up 37% last year. But as the initial weeks of the novel coronavirus pandemic have shown, Walmart’s 4,600 U.S. stores have proved to be an effective weapon by allowing curbside pickup for online orders at a time shoppers want to limit time in stores—but still want their orders quickly. That sentiment is not likely to change anytime soon. Walmart Inc.’s Sam’s Club is finding renewed energy, too. Walmart is benefiting from focusing on select overseas markets, such as India and China, rather than competing everywhere.
Walmart took the top spot on the 2020 list for the eighth year in a row, generating $4 trillion cumulative revenue over that time. Amazon.com jumped to No.2 for their highest ranking since their 2002 debut. Exxon Mobil, Apple, and CVS Health round out the top 5.
The Top Ten companies on the 2020 FORTUNE 500 list are:
- Walmart
- Amazon.com
- Exxon Mobil
- Apple
- CVS Health
- Berkshire Hathaway
- UnitedHealth Group
- McKesson
- AT&T
- AmerisourceBergen
See the complete FORTUNE 500 List here. The June/July 2020 issue of FORTUNE is on newsstands now.
