There are two ways banks are measured for size when deciding on league tables – market capitalization or total assets.
Market capitalization, also known as market cap, refers to the total value of all the shares outstanding, i.e. all the shares owned by all its shareholders, including what institutional investors hold in share blocks and restricted shares owned by the company’s insiders and officers. This is worked out by multiplying the stock price by the total number of shares.
A bank’s assets are everything it owns and can be converted into cash, including cash.
World’s 10 largest banks by assets (source: Forbes)
1. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). Assets $3,181.88 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China. It employs more than 405,000 workers.
2. HSBC Holdings plc. Assets $2,758.45 billion. Headquartered in London, UK. Total number of workers, about 254,000.
3. China Construction Bank Corporation. Assets $2,602.54 billion. Headquarters are in Beijing, China. The company employs about 329,000 people.
4. BNP Paribas. Assets $2,589.19 billion. Headquartered in Paris, France. Number of employees, about 200,000.
5. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. Assets $2,508.84 billion. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The bank employs about 80,000 workers.
6. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Assets #2,476.99 billion. Headquartered in New York City, US. Number of employees, about 255,000.
7. Agricultural Bank of China. Assets $2,470.43 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China. Total number of workers, 440,000.
8. Bank of China. Assets $2,435.49 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China. Total number of staff, 305,000.
9. Crédit Agricole Group. Assets $2,346.5 billion. Headquartered in Montrouge, France. Number of workers, 150,000.
10. Barclays PLC. Assets 2,266.8 billion. Headquartered in London, UK. Total number of employees, 139,000.
World’s top 10 banks by assets.
World’s 10 largest banks by market cap (source: relbank.com)
1. Wells Fargo & Co. Market cap $261.72 billion. Headquartered in New York City, US.
2. JP Morgan Chase & Co. Market cap $229.90 billion. Headquartered in New York City, US.
3. ICBC 196.21 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China.
4. HSBC Holdings. Market cap $191.43 billion. Headquartered in London, UK.
5. Bank of America. Market cap $181.77 billion. Headquartered in Charlotte, US.
6. China Construction Bank. Market cap $160.83 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China.
7. Citigroup Inc. Market cap $144.63 billion. Headquartered in New York City, US.
8. Agricultural Bank of China. Market cap $126.41 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China.
9. Bank of China. Market cap $115.92 billion. Headquartered in Beijing, China.
10. Australia Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Market cap $115.35 billion. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia.