Sep 27, 2016

Question: Who Are the World's Ten Largest Companies...

…and how has the list changed over the past ten years?

Hat tip to Big Picture Blog for this extremely simple yet insightful chart:

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Questions for students:

  • What is market capitalization? Why is it considered here as a proxy for company size?
  • How many of the top 10 companies in 2006 persisted on the list for 2016?
  • How has the industry representation changed over the past ten years? What do you think accounts for this?
  • Agree or disagree with this statement: the bigger the company, the more stable it’s underlying business is. Use data to support your answer.
  • Did any of the companies that showed up on both lists see a decline in their market cap. between these two dates?

Want this resource and questions in slide format to use in class? Click here!

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Check out the NGPF Investing Activity: Calculate Compound Interest!

 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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