This is an annual ranking of the top PUBLIC companies in the world by Forbes magazine. The ranking is based on a mix of four metrics: sales, profit, assets, and market value.
Annually compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks 500 U.S. closely held and public companies as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies incur.
Look down left side of screen for S&P 500. S&P 500 index consists of 500 U.S. stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, sector representation and other factors. It is a market-value weighted index (stock price x number of shares outstanding) with each stock's weight in the index proportionate to the market value.
From the University of Missouri Libraries: "Links to [United States] government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations."
