HSBC has jumped two places to top the latest Forbes 2000 list of the world's largest
companies, the first time a non-US company has led the rankings, says a press release.
The annual index surveyed blue-chip firms in 26 industries across 60 countries and ranked them according to a composite of sales, profits, assets and market value.
HSBC is one of five high performers from the banking industry, having delivered 26 percent annual average growth in revenue and 31 percent in net income over the past five years.
Measured by number of companies, 315, the banking industry has the biggest presence on the Forbes 2000.