Top 100 public companies in the world by market capitalization, Dec 31, 2025
These are cause for celebration. But there are also reasons for reflection. The United States is no longer the global leader in manufacturing and trade. Its lead on technology is narrowing amid greater competition with China.5 And the picture of household well-being is mixed: Although up economically, contributing to low levels of public trust.6 Here we examine the hallmarks of economic competitiveness: globally leading firms, leadership in technology and innovation, and economic opportunity. and revenue (Exhibit 3). From start-ups to large corporations, they attract an outsize share of capital from global markets. US firms hold more than half of global public equity funding and receive more than 5O percent of global venture capital (VC) investment.7 These valuations are supported, at least in part, by the fact that US firms have the highest levels of productivity, and other corporate performance metrics; compared to European peers, they have 30 percent higher returns on invested capital and 50 percent faster top-line growth.9 At 250, sustaining America's competitive edge