Fortune Announces Last Year’s Best and Worst Performers

Yesterday, Fortune magazine announced the 20 Fortune Global 500 companies that posted the largest profits and the 17 corporations that reported the greatest losses last year.

Exxon Mobil posted $39.5 billion of net profits last year, topping the list, and followed by Royal Dutch Shell with $25.442 billion and UAL, United Airlines parent company, with $22.876 billion.

By contrast, Ford reported that largest losses of $12.6 billion last year, followed by Vodafone with $10.3 billion and Delta Airlines with $6.2 billion.

Corporate performance varied greatly by industry. For instance, 10 energy companies in the oil and natural gas industries are included in the top 20 companies, including British Petroleum at fourth and Gazprom at eighth, demonstrating once again the huge influence of energy price hikes.

Financial institutions turned in great performances, ranking five companies on the top 20 list, including Citigroup at fifth and Bank of America at sixth.

Meanwhile, five U.S. auto-related companies were announced as the worst performing, including auto parts maker Delphi at fourth, GM at fifth, and Goodyear Tires at eleventh, suggesting the reality of the sluggish U.S. auto industry.

Toyota Motor Corporation posted $14.056 billion of net profits last year, putting it 15th on the top 20 list as the only carmaker.

redfoot@donga.com