In this piece, we will take a look at the 15 largest French companies in the U.S. For more French firms, head on over to 5 Largest French Companies in the U.S.
France is one of the biggest economies and one of the most powerful countries on the planet. According to estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the French economy was worth a whopping $2.9 trillion as of April 2023. France is also a former colonial power and ruled over significant portions of Africa for most of the continent’s history over the past century. It is one of the most historic countries in the world, known for its empires and dynasties – and their downfall as well. The French military dictator Napoleon is widely revered as one of the greatest military commanders in human history, yet the revolutionaries that overthrew the French monarchy that led to Napoleon’s take over of power are also equally remembered.
In modern day times, France played an inconsequential role in the second world war, as it was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war’s early days. The German invasion lasted for five years and France was the center of fighting during the war as the Allies fought to liberate the country from the Germans. However, while Japan is highly praised for its economic growth after the war ended, equally impressive are France’s achievements – especially since it is one of the biggest military powers in the world and one of the few countries that previously controlled a full spectrum of nuclear delivery options, commonly known as the nuclear triad and comprising of land, sea, and air based nuclear delivery systems.
In fact, it can very well be argued that after the U.S., France has the strongest privatized defense industries. The French firm ArianeGroup is one of two private companies in the world that has an operational submarine launched nuclear ballistic missile dubbed the M51. The M51 is capable of reaching its target at least 10,000 kilometers away, making it the second longest range missile of its kind, surpassed only by the American Trident. Trident has a range of 12,000 kilometers and is made by the space division of Lockheed Martin. These systems have stood the test of time, as even China does not possess these lethal weapons.
However, France’s defense dominance isn’t limited to the M51. The French firm Dassault Aviation Société anonyme (EPA:AM.PA) is one of the world’s leading fighter jet manufacturers and stands shoulder to shoulder with Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). As is the case with the M51, Dassault, one of the largest French companies, is also only one of two private companies that has an operational fifth generation fighter aircraft. The other, unsurprisingly, is Lockheed. Dassault’s fifth generation Rafale jet is also one of the most widely sought aircraft in the world, particularly since the American counterpart, the F-22 Raptor, cannot be exported under U.S. law due to its significant air superiority advantages.
Yet, missiles and planes are not the only two things that France is known for. Some of the biggest French companies, with operations all over the world are in the fashion industry. Companies such as LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, Société Européenne (EPA:MC.PA), Hermès International Société en commandite par actions (EPA:RMS.PA), and Christian Dior SE (EPA:CDI.PA) are some of the biggest fashion brands in the world with a market capitalization in hundreds of billions of dollars. At the same time, these companies rake in billions of dollars in revenue as well, with Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior being the largest and having brought in 79 billion Euros in revenue during 2022. Their success has also made their owner, Bernard Arnault and Family, the richest in the world as of April 2023. According to Forbes Magazine, Mr. Arnault is worth a whopping $238 billion, beating the Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) owner Mr. Elon Musk by more than $50 billion.
Finally, France has also won accolades for itself in the astronautics industry. Arianespace SA is the world’s oldest commercial rocket company, having been set up in 1980. And before Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) took over the launch services market, the firm was also the largest launch provider in the world. To date, Arianespace SA is also the world’s largest company in terms of total launches, having conducted 247 successful launches so far – leading SpaceX by almost two dozen.
Pixabay/Public Domain
France is currently facing significant turmoil in the form of protests about its pension reform. The French government argues that pensions contribute to the country’s massive national debt, one of the highest in Europe, and the number of pensions will grow to unsustainable levels soon if reform is not undertaken. However, criticisms of the reform include the fact that it does not help women, discriminates against lower wage earners, and has come during a time of a cost of living crisis. For the economy, the Bank of France had some good news in April 2023 as it pointed out that the economy will grow by 0.2% during the first quarter of this year as opposed to the 0.1% growth outlined by earlier projections. This uptick comes as supply chain pressures on the construction and industrial sector ease and raw material prices continue to be stable except for a few sectors. However, the labor market is still tight and a lot of companies are still facing trouble when finding workers.
With these details in mind, let’s take a look at some of the largest French companies that operate in America. Out of these, some of the top firms are L’Oréal S.A. (EPA:OR.PA), Hermès International Société en commandite par actions (EPA:RMS.PA), and LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, Société Européenne (EPA:MC.PA).
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the largest French companies in America, we first made a list of the top 30 largest companies of France in terms of market capitalization. The market capitalization currency was Euros except for firms listed on major U.S. indexes. Then, each of the firms in the list was individually scrutinized to ensure that it has an operational presence in America – in terms of stores, American business divisions, or offices that take orders. After this, the top fifteen French companies operating in America were sorted out and are listed below.
Largest French Companies in the U.S.
15. Dassault Systèmes SE (EPA:DSY.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €49.52 billion
Dassault Systèmes SE (EPA:DSY.PA) is a software firm headquartered in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France. The firm was set up in 1981 and it provides a variety of software products for a host of different industries. Some of the company’s products include CATIA, ENOVIA, 3DEXCITE, and other software products. These serve the needs of industries such as healthcare, life sciences, and defense. Dassault Systèmes SE (EPA:DSY.PA)’s American arm is called Dassault Systemes Americas Corp. and is based in Woodland Hills, California.
Along with Hermès International Société en commandite par actions (EPA:RMS.PA), L’Oréal S.A. (EPA:OR.PA), and LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, Société Européenne (EPA:MC.PA), Dassault Systèmes SE (EPA:DSY.PA) joins our list of the top French companies in America.
14. Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:RI.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €53.40 billion
Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:RI.PA) is a beverage company that is based in Paris. It is one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world and owns and sells some of the most popular whiskey, vodka, champagne, tequila, and other alcoholic spirits brands. These include Absolut, Imperial, and Imperial Blue. Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:RI.PA)’s U.S. division is called Pernod Ricard USA and it is based in New York.
13. Safran SA (EPA:SAF.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €58.63 billion
Safran SA (EPA:SAF.PA) is a defense contractor headquartered in Paris. It makes and sells a wide variety of products such as landing gears, nacelles, flight control systems, and oxygen masks. Its civilian arm sells seats for commercial aircraft, galleys, overhead bins, and other cabin equipment. The firm’s American division is called Safran USA Inc. and is based in Alexandria, Virginia.
12. Vinci SA (EPA:DG.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €60.95 billion
Vinci SA (EPA:DG.PA) is an industrial equipment manufacturer based in Nanterre. It is one of the largest construction firms in the world, and it builds infrastructure and urban projects such as roads and airports. Additionally, the firm also provides nuclear engineering services, and it also develops residential and commercial properties. Vinci SA (EPA:DG.PA)’s facilities are located all over the U.S., in states including California, Washington, Texas, Colorado, and New York.
11. Kering SA (EPA:KER.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €68.11 billion
Kering SA (EPA:KER.PA) is a luxury goods company based in Paris. It sells high end luxury products, including eyewear, jewelry, watches, shoes, perfumes, and others. Kering SA (EPA:KER.PA) has a variety of brands in its portfolio, including the American sunglasses brand Maui Jim.
10. BNP Paribas SA (EPA:BNP.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €70.08 billion
BNP Paribas SA (EPA:BNP.PA) is a French bank headquartered in Paris. It offers corporate, commercial, and investment banking services. The bank’s U.S. division is called BNP Paribas USA, Inc. which is headquartered in America’s financial capital, New York.
9. EssilorLuxottica Société anonyme (EPA:EL.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €75.30 billion
EssilorLuxottica Société anonyme (EPA:EL.PA) is one of the largest manufacturers of ophthalmic lenses in the world. It has seven major manufacturing facilities in the world, including one in the U.S. which makes sports and performance products.
8. Schneider Electric S.E. (EPA:SU.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €81.89 billion
Schneider Electric S.E. (EPA:SU.PA) is an industrial equipment company that sells products such as energy monitoring systems, surge protection devices, sensors, and valves. It sells different products in America such as circuit breakers and protection relays.
7. L’Air Liquide S.A. (EPA:AI.PA)
Latest Market Capitalization: €82.88 billion
L’Air Liquide S.A. (EPA:AI.PA) is a chemicals company based in France. It has been operating in America for more than five decades and has more than 20,000 employees.
6. Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)
Latest Market Capitalization: $137.76 billion
Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) is one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world. Its U.S. division is called Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC.
As of Q4 2022, 34 of the 943 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey had bought Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)’s shares. Out of these, the largest investor is Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management with a $667 million stake.
L’Oréal S.A. (EPA:OR.PA), Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY), Hermès International Société en commandite par actions (EPA:RMS.PA), and LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, Société Européenne (EPA:MC.PA) are some of the largest French companies in America.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Largest French Companies in the U.S. is originally published on Insider Monkey.