10 Most Profitable Companies In Europe

The 10 most profitable companies in Europe are responsible for some of the top-class products and services that are being provided on just about every continent in the world.

Out of the 10 companies on this list, four are from Switzerland, while three are from Germany, reflective of the favorable position of the two countries in Europe’s economic affairs. Switzerland is one of the most affluent countries in Europe, if not the world, while Germany is the largest economy on the continent. The other companies on this list are from France, Russia, and Ireland. Amid this observation, we would like to note that a lot of other very profitable companies on the continent are situated in countries such as the UK, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and many more; some of these companies have even been the most profitable ones in past years.

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Unlike the 10 most profitable companies in the world in 2017, which are mostly financial institutions, the top income-generating corporations in Europe are mainly pharmaceutical companies, car makers, and finance companies. This is in stark contrast to the companies listed as the most profitable in other major economies such as the U.S and China, where banks and holding companies are the kings of profit. This goes to show that there is a certain balance when it comes to the composition of the European economy, as manufacturers of consumer products stand a chance to generate huge net income, despite the higher expenses related with creating products.

The combined net income of the 10 companies on this list is $104.08 billion, more than the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of the nine European countries with the smallest GDP, as well as the GDP figures of 19 individual European countries. Needless to say, the most profitable European companies have made significant contributions to the $16.518 trillion European economy, giving the continent the capacity to compete with the economic powerhouses of the world.

As for which of these corporations — Allergan plc Ordinary Shares (NYSE:AGN), Allianz SE (ADR) (OTCMKTS:AZSEY), Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (ETR:BMW), BNP Paribas SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS:BNPQY), Daimler AG (OTCMKTS:DDAIF), Nestle SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS:NSRGY), Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS), Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY), Schweizerische Nationalbank (Swiss National Bank), and Sberbank Rossii PAO – ADR (OTCMKTS:SBRCY) — ended up as the most profitable, we rank the companies in this list of the 10 most profitable companies in Europe in order of their net income for their fiscal year 2016.

10. Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $6.71 billion

The Swiss multinational drug maker behind Ritalin and Lamisil, among others, Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS) is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

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9. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (ETR:BMW)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $7.24 billion

Far better known under its initials BMW, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (ETR:BMW), which stands for Bavarian Motor Works, has been making cars since 1916 and is a top luxury automaker.

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8. Allianz SE (ADR) (OTCMKTS:AZSEY)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $7.27 billion

German financial services company Allianz SE (ADR) (OTCMKTS:AZSEY) is one of the world’s largest insurance companies, with operations in more than 70 countries.

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7. BNP Paribas SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS:BNPQY)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $8.13 billion

Established in 2000 after the merger of two major banks in France, BNP Paribas SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS:BNPQY) provides financial services in 75 countries.

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6. Nestle SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS:NSRGY)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $8.40 billion

The Swiss corporation behind established brands Nescafe, Kit Kat, Maggi, and Nesquik, Nestle SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS:NSRGY) is one of the largest food companies in the world.

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5. Sberbank Rossii PAO – ADR (OTCMKTS:SBRCY)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $8.83 billion

The largest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe, Sberbank Rossii PAO – ADR (OTCMKTS:SBRCY) is also the third-largest European bank.

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The next four companies on this list of the 10 most profitable companies in Europe each earned net income of more than $9 billion during their latest fiscal year.

4. Daimler AG (OTCMKTS:DDAIF)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $9.00 billion

The German company behind Mercedes-Benz and Maybach cars, Daimler AG (OTCMKTS:DDAIF) ranks 4th in our list of most profitable companies in Europe. It was the most profitable European car company in the most recent fiscal year.

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3. Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $9.43 billion

The Swiss drug manufacturer that supplies Tamiflu, Xenical, Valium, and other pills, Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) is the third-largest pharmaceutical company in the world.

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2. Allergan plc Ordinary Shares (NYSE:AGN)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $14.97 billion

Headquartered in Ireland partly because of the country’s low tax rates, Botox maker Allergan plc Ordinary Shares (NYSE:AGN) emerged as one of the leading global pharmaceutical companies in the world following the 2015 merger of Actavis and Allergan.

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1. Schweizerische Nationalbank (Swiss National Bank)

Net income for fiscal year 2016: $24.10 billion

Switzerland’s independent central bank has exhibited wild fluctuations in its income over the past few years (e.g., $38.95 billion in income in 2014, followed by $22.82 billion in losses in 2015). Despite that, the performance of Schweizerische Nationalbank (Swiss National Bank) last year was enough to put it in the top position on this list of the 10 most profitable companies in Europe.

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Disclosure: none