When creating your stock portfolio, the kind of company you decide to invest in depends on your individual goals and the risks you are willing to take. The smaller and younger the company, the higher the risk and potential yields in dividends if successful. And by the way, gaming companies – from video game and esports developers to online slots providers have also been all the rage for investors recently. No doubt, your investment options are getting more diverse as different industries across the globe continue to expand.
On the other hand, the largest publicly traded companies have provided some security for long-term investors due to the stable cash flow and steadily growing share price. So, if you’ve been looking to put your money on such entities today, we’ll take a look at the top 10 companies with the largest market capitalizations as of January 2022. A company’s market capitalization is its total worth calculated by multiplying the share price and the number of shares issued. Here are the big 10 that you should watch out for this year:
Apple Inc.
Stock Symbol: AAPL
Market Cap: $2.826T
Exchange: NASDAQ
Since getting on the list of top 10 most-valuable companies back in 2008 at about $120 million, Apple has grown to become a record-breaker in the world stock exchange arena. It holds the bragging rights of being the first company to hit $1 trillion in 2018 to $2 trillion 2 years later. And in January 2022, it again became the first company to hit $3 trillion in market value, albeit briefly.
Microsoft Corporation
Stock Symbol: MSFT
Market Cap: 2.328T
Exchange: NASDAQ
Microsoft is another tech giant headed for the $3 trillion mark in 2022. The revenue generated mainly comes from the sale of software products and services. Its market cap has seen significant growth from $1.2 trillion in early 2020, even though there was a slight drop from the all-time high of $2.512 trillion in 2021.
Saudi Aramco
Stock Symbol: SR
Market Cap: $1.954T
Exchange: TAWADUL
The oil and gas giant only began trading its shares in December 2019 when it sold 3 billion shares at just 32 Riyals. Nevertheless, the stock has been on an upward trajectory despite relatively slow growth and is now valued at 36.70 Saudi Riyals (about $9.78).
Alphabet Inc.
Stock Symbol: GOOG
Market Cap: $1.851T
Exchange: NASDAQ
Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., has seen its stock value grow by over 60% in 2021 as ad revenue went up. The company has been focusing on facilitating digital marketing, which seems to be paying off. Since it’s the leader in this field, the trend is set to propel it further in the coming years.
Amazon.com Inc.
Stock Symbol: AMZN
Market Cap: $1.644T
Exchange: NASDAQ
Innovation was the driver behind Amazon’s booming business when the pandemic hit in early 2020. As a result, the company remains at the top in valuation even after suffering a 5.2% drop in share valuation, which is drastic given the steady double-digit rise in figures since 2015.
Tesla Inc.
Stock Symbol: TSLA
Market Cap: $1.054T
Exchange: NASDAQ
Tesla Inc. just recently reached the $1 trillion mark, joining the crème de la crème of the wealthiest players in the stock market today. Tesla shares were among the few that grew tremendously during the initial phase of the pandemic.
Meta Platforms Inc.
Stock Symbol: FB
Market Cap: $923.26
Exchange: NASDAQ
Considered an undervalued stock, Facebook’s Meta in 2021, the new direction may work to hasten things along. However, this stock is being monitored very closely, and we can only wait to see what it has in store for investors in 2022.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
Stock Symbol: TSM
Market Cap: $729.46B
Exchange: TPE
The TSMC stock peaked in Q4 of 2021 after a spike in the global demand for semiconductor chips. The stock’s value has been increasing since 2019, and the 2021 nano-chip shortage made the company the talk of the town.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Stock Symbol: BRK
Market Cap: $722.12B
Exchange: NASDAQ
Berkshire Hathaway is one of the most volatile high-value stocks on the market. The good news is that there has been more growth than a dive, which has kept it on the top. The company’s investment portfolio spans different industries, including manufacturing, financial services, insurance and energy, among others.
NVIDIA Corporation
Stock Symbol: NVDA
Market Cap: 671.39B
Exchange: NASDAQ
The Nvidia stock has been soaring for the last couple of years, and apparently, with increased GPU demand, the numbers have been going up. However, there was a 9.1% drop in 2021, and we will have to wait and see how it performs in the coming months.
Parting Shot
A company’s market cap gives some insight into what to expect when purchasing a stock. For example, recent changes in the tech world have led to dramatic revenue streams for big players in the global stock markets. In addition, if the Covid-19 pandemic has proved anything, it’s that consumer demand for certain products has accelerated growth for some of the biggest names in the stock market. If these trends continue, we are looking at a big payday for investors in the coming years.