Fortune Global 500 companies look to emerging economies for growth

Number of powerhouses on Oxford Business Group’s subscriber list continues to rise

The newly-released Fortune Global 500 Index for 2017 reaffirms the ever-increasing role that emerging markets are playing as a driver of growth across the world economy and the pull they are exerting on many of the biggest international companies.

Oxford Business Group (OBG), which has long served as a valuable point of reference for investors seeking in-depth analysis and data on the emerging markets shaping the future balance of economic power, once again saw its subscriptions from the world’s biggest companies increase. Representatives from 336, or 67% of companies listed on the index, are now using the international publishing, research and consultancy firm as a source of reference for their operations, up from 309, or 61% in 2016. 

Research also showed that business leaders from eight of the top 10 companies appearing on the 2017 Fortune Global 500 Index hold subscriptions with OBG.

The number of top firms either relocating to emerging economies or extending their reach into these dynamic markets has been rising steadily since the turn of the millennium. According to data compiled by EY, 132 of the world’s largest companies were headquartered in emerging markets in 2014, up from 21 in the year 2000.

Oliver Cornock, OBG’s Editor-in-Chief, said that while emerging markets have been increasing their share of global GDP since the fall of the Berlin Wall, their expansion had accelerated markedly over the past two decades, buoyed by favourable tax environments and other competitive advantages.

“Corporate income tax imposed on non-US-headquartered companies fell from 39.2% in 2000 to 28.1% in 2014, while the share of Fortune Global 500 companies based in the US declined from roughly 36% to 26% over the same period,” he said. “Other factors fuelling the relocation of these companies to emerging economies include local market potential, maturity of the industry, logistical capabilities, level of infrastructure, political stability, the quality of the employment market and ease of business entry.”

Cornock noted that data also pointed to a rise in the number of new firms from within emerging markets earning a place on the Fortune Global 500 list, especially state-owned enterprises (SOEs). 

According to a report by PwC, the proportion of SOEs on the index grew from 9% in 2005 to 23% in 2014. SOEs from China are playing a key part in steering this shift, which is expected to continue, according to Cornock. 

“Privatisation and partial divestments of state-owned firms and assets in the years to come will undoubtedly result in more companies finding their way onto the Fortune Global 500 list,” he said.

Cornock added that emerging markets were expected to dominate the development and composition of the index in the years to come. “Research suggests that emerging economies’ share of the Fortune Global 500 companies will jump to more than 45% by 2025, a trend we will be tracking closely for our growing number of subscribers, who include heads of state, CEOs, institutional investors, analysts and academics, all looking for macro information on emerging markets,” he said.

Basak Pasali, OBG’s Director of Communications, welcomed the rise in subscriptions from the world’s biggest firms, noting that many of the Group’s readers were themselves employed by or did business with Fortune Global 500 companies.

“As a trusted provider of foreign direct investment insight at a time when emerging markets are dominating the global growth story, Oxford Business Group’s analysis and understanding of these and other worldwide economic trends makes us an invaluable resource to international companies across the sectors,” she said. “I’m delighted that we now have subscribers at 336 of the companies on the Fortune Global 500 list and am confident that they will continue to draw on our business intelligence when making their investment decisions.”

The Fortun Global 500 Index is an annually-produced list of the world’s 500 largest corporations, ranked by revenue for the fiscal year ended on or before March 31. Its latest list was published on July 20.

Oxford Business Group is a global research and consultancy company with a presence in over 30 countries, from the Middle East, Africa and Asia to the Americas. A distinctive and respected provider of on-the-ground intelligence on many of the world’s fastest growing markets, OBG has offices in London, Berlin, Dubai and Istanbul, and a network of local bureaus across the countries in which it operates.

Through its range of products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, tourism, energy, transport, industry and ICT. OBG provides business intelligence to its subscribers through multiple platforms: Economic News and Views, OBG Business Barometer – CEO Survey, Roundtables and conferences, Global Platform – exclusive video interviews, The Report publications and its Consultancy division.