Ayala sees global nod as boost to long-term vision

Ayala Corp., the country’s oldest conglomerate, said its inclusion in the 2025 Forbes Global 2000 list affirms the strength of its long-term growth strategy. It joined six other Philippine companies recognized among the world’s largest publicly listed firms.

“(We are) proud to be part of the Forbes Global 2000, ranking among the world’s largest companies. This recognition inspires us to carry on with our mission to build businesses that help people thrive,” the company said in a statement on Friday.

“Coming from our strongest year yet in 2024, we continue to strengthen our core businesses and nurture our emerging ventures, all while harnessing the power of a more connected Ayala Group to create greater stakeholder value and sustain growth,” it added.

Seven Filipino firms, including AC which placed 1,644th, made it to Forbes’ 2025 Global 2000 list, which ranks the world’s biggest publicly listed companies based on sales, profits, assets, and market value.

SM Investments Corp. led the local entries at 811th, posting $10.56 billion in sales, $1.44 billion in profit, $29.37 billion in assets, and a market value of $18.67 billion.

BDO Unibank followed at 846th, with $6.31 billion in sales, $1.43 billion in profit, $84.33 billion in assets, and a $15.09 billion market value.

Other Philippine firms on the list were Top Frontier Investment Holdings (1,116th), Metrobank (1,317th), Meralco (1,530th), and ICTSI (1,702nd).

The United States topped the list with 612 companies, trailed by China (317), Japan (180), India (70), and the UK (68).

J.P. Morgan Chase remained at number one for the third straight year, boosted by a 30 percent gain from 2024. It was followed by Berkshire Hathaway, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Saudi Aramco, and Amazon.