The most profitable companies in the world; Technology - at the top of the list

The ranking of the most profitable companies in the world in 2025 highlights a strong concentration of earnings in the fields of technology, finance and energy, according to visualcapitalist.com which, based on data from FinanceCharts.com, has compiled a list of companies by net income achieved in the last 12 months. The figures are for November 2025 and show the profit margins behind these earnings.

• Alphabet, the leader in profits: $ 124.3 billion

As in previous years, technology companies dominate the top of the ranking. Alphabet (owner of Google) displays a profit of $ 124.3 billion in 2025, which places it in first position. The net profit margin in its case is 30.1%, according to the cited source.

Next up are giants Apple ($112 billion, 24.8% margin) and Microsoft ($104.9 billion, 35.7% margin). These companies benefit from high-margin digital services, advertising platforms, and enterprise software, all of which scale efficiently.

Nvidia comes in fourth ($99.2 billion) and stands out with a 53.7% profit margin, underscoring how demand for AI chips continues to reshape the semiconductor industry. Together, the top U.S. tech companies generate hundreds of billions of dollars in annual profits, more than entire sectors in some countries.

In fifth place is oil company Saudi Aramco ($95.6 billion, 21.7% margin), followed, up to tenth, by Amazon.com ($76.5 billion, 9.8% margin), Berkshire Hathaway ($67.5 billion, 22% margin), Meta Platforms ($58.5 billion, 36.7% margin), JPMorgan Chase & Co ($56.7 billion, 20.1% margin) and Taiwan Semiconductor ($50.5 billion, 41.6% margin).

• Financial institutions - global profit drivers

American banking giants JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo all appear in the top 50, contributing tens of billions to global profit.

The four big Chinese banks - ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China - also rank high due to their size and extensive domestic networks.

European banks such as HSBC, BNP Paribas and Santander add further evidence that financial services remain one of the world's most profitable industries.

• Energy, pharmaceuticals and retail have mixed results

Oil group Saudi Aramco remains the world's most profitable non-tech operator despite market volatility. Pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are posting solid profit margins, driven by high-value therapeutics and blockbuster drugs in the pipeline.

In contrast, retail giants such as Walmart and Home Depot are posting lower margins due to their expensive structures, although their absolute profits still place them among the world leaders.