25.Petrobras

 

Rank: 25
Previous rank: 23
CEO: Maria das Graças Silva Foster
Employees: 85,065

The government-run energy company with proven reserves of about 14 billion barrels of oil has been hampered by the declining value of the real, Brazil’s currency, relative to the dollar. Petrobras operates in 24 countries and has pledged to spend $237 billion on production and exploration projects in the next five years, including in the deep waters off Brazil’s southeast coast in a reserve estimated to hold up to 100 billion barrels of oil. Revenue fell 1.2% for Petrobras in 2012, coming in at $144.1 billion.

Headquarters:
Av. Rep. do Chile 65
Rio de Janeiro. 20035-900
Brazil
55-21-3224-4477
Website: www.petrobras.com.

24.General Electric

 

Rank: 24
Previous rank: 22
CEO: Jeffrey R. Immelt
Employees: 305,000

America's biggest industrial company is feeling the pain from the slowdown in U.S. and European manufacturing. Early this year, that sluggish growth hurt the company's power and water unit, as struggling U.S. and European manufacturers purchased fewer General Electric generators. Given that trend, GE must figure out how to squeeze more profits out of other sections of its business such as aviation and its financing arm GE Capital. It is also increasing investments in manufacturing tied to the oil and gas industry. This year, it paid almost $3 billion for oilfield pump maker Lufkin Industries.

Headquarters:
3135 Easton Turnpike
Fairfield, Connecticut. 6828
U.S.
203-373-2211
Website: www.ge.com

23.Daimler

 

Rank: 23
Previous rank: 21
CEO: Dieter Zetsche
Employees: 275,087

The maker of Mercedes Benz is trying to power through Europe's financial woes. Flat profits for 2012 were followed by a disastrous first quarter when the German luxury automaker posted a 60% drop in net income and lowered its 2013 forecast. Chief Dieter Zetsche expects results to improve later this year as a massive cost-cutting effort lifts Daimler's bottom line. A revamped flagship Mercedes S-Class hits U.S. showrooms this fall, but it faces stiff competition from market leader BMW and a newly revived Audi.

Headquarters:
Mercedesstrasse 137
Stuttgart. 70327
Germany
49-711-17-0
Website: www.daimler.com

22.General Motors

 

Rank: 22
Previous rank: 19
CEO: Daniel F. Akerson
Employees: 213,000

In 2010, CEO Dan Akerson led General Motors through what was then the biggest IPO in history. Today, GM is focusing on selling cars abroad, with China being a key market. GM has roughly 15% market share in China now and has said it will introduce 17 refreshed models there in 2013. Though the carmaker predicts only modest growth in U.S. and China auto sales this coming year, it is making money. GM is still one of the most profitable companies in the Global 500, despite a 33% decrease in earnings in 2012, down from $9.1 billion in 2011 to $6.2 billion.

Headquarters:
300 Renaissance Center
Detroit, Michigan. 48265
U.S.
313-556-5000
Website: www.gm.com

21.Gazprom

Rank: 21
Previous rank: 15
CEO: Alexey B. Miller
Employees: 417,000

Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, slipped six spots on this year’s list as revenues fell 2.7% to $153.5 billion in 2012. The company says it has the world’s largest natural gas reserves, but Gazprom’s monopoly on exports from Russia is facing pressure from domestic competitors and America’s shale gas boom. Gazprom has cut prices in Europe, where it supplies about 25% of the natural gas market. Company officials have said rising output will boost revenues.

Headquarters:
16 Nametkina St.
Moscow. 117997
Russia
7-495-719-3001
Website: www.gazprom.com

20.AXA

 

 

Rank: 20
Previous rank: 25
CEO: Henri de Castries
Employees: 94,364

A bet on China is paying off for AXA. Last fall, Europe’s second-largest insurer struck a partnership with the financial giant Industrial & Commercial Bank of China. Since then, premiums have taken off for the French company, which now ranks as the largest foreign player in China’s life insurance market. The uptick in Asia comes at a good time for the company, which has struggled in Europe and the U.S. And like other insurers, continued low interest rates have held down AXA’s earnings.

Earlier this year, AXA announced plans to cut an additional $260 million in costs by the end of 2015. In April, it struck a deal to sell its MONY Life Insurance group to Birmingham, Alabama-based Protective, for $1 billion. AXA bought the division for $1.5 billion back in 2004. It also sold a majority stake in its private equity division. The result: After falling last year, the company’s earnings rose a modest 3% in the first three months of this year.

The market seem convinced a turnaround is in the works. AXA’s shares are up 60% in the past year. The question is with China slowing, are investors being overly optimistic? Rising interest rates and improvements in European economies could offset that exuberance.

Headquarters:
25 Ave. Matignon
Paris. 75008
France
33-1-4075-5700
Website: www.axa.com

19.Apple

 

Rank: 19
Previous rank: 55
CEO: Timothy D. Cook
Employees: 76,100

Apple is bigger than ever -- cracking the Fortune 10 for the first time and moving up 36 spots in the Global 500. The company has done anything but slow down. The introductions of the iPhone 5 and a the 7-inch iPad Mini helped propel the tech giant’s revenues up from $108 billion in 2011 to $157 billion last year. In a surprising move, Apple reportedly may shift some of its manufacturing from long-standing Taiwanese partner Foxconn to Pegatron, a smaller competitor, in an effort to balance out its supply chain.

Headquarters:
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, California. 95014
U.S.
408-996-1010
Website: www.apple.com