Regardless of the 2020 global recession, some companies played the game admirably well and appeared to be the top prospering companies during highly uncertain times. Financial Times published the 2020 final ranking of corporate winners, based on the percentage gain in market value for companies with a floor of USD 10 billion at the start of 2020, and using data from S&P Global. Here are the top 10.

1. Tesla. Elon Musk’s giant American automotive company gained 787 percent in market value and was evaluated at $669 billion last December, with 500,000 cars expected to be produced over 2020. Investors estimate that Tesla’s more advanced technology gives the company a clear advantage over competition.
2. Sea Group. Valued at $102 billion, the southeast Asian leading internet platform knew a 446-percent increase in market value over 2020. Sea Group’s three principal businesses – gaming, ecommerce, digital payments – have outstandingly weathered the COVID crisis. The company is gradually marking its presence in the banking sector after obtaining a digital banking licence in Singapore.
3. Zoom Video Communications Inc. The American communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California clearly provided companies and organizations meeting rooms during the pandemic. The number of Zoom customers has boomed in 2020, but history will tell us if Zoom stays unshakeable after the pandemic.
4. Pinduoduo. The Chinese ecommerce group was evaluated at $218 billion last December and recorded an increase of 396 percent in market value in 2020. Hundreds of Chinese online shoppers, seduced by ultra-cheap goods, made the company’s revenues rise by 70 percent in only nine months.
5. BYD. The Chinese electric carmaker recorded a 359-percent increase in market value in 2020. Even if the company was hardly hit by the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020, the release of its sporty Han sedan in July, helped BYD to rebound and catch up with its main competitor, Tesla. BYD was valued at $78 billion at the end of last year.
6. CrowdStrike. After exposing Russian hackers during the 2016 U.S. elections, the American cyber security software company gained popular recognition. With work going remote during the pandemic, companies called on CrowdStrike to protect their data. CrowdStrike’s end-2020 market value is estimated at $47 billion, with an increase of 357 percent over 2020.
7. Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. The Chinese company specialized in distilling and distribution of liquor products expanded at the national level last year. The winery recorded a rise of 50 percent in its 2020 revenue. The company’s end-2020 market value is evaluated at $50 billion, with an increase of 346 percent.
8. LONGi Green Energy Technology. The Chinese energy company is the world’s largest producer of silicon solar wafers and took advantage of China’s energy policy and the current global trend towards the use of greener energy to gain a bigger market share. The company’s end-2020 market value is evaluated at $53 billion. An increase in market value of 296 percent was recorded over 2020.
9. Pinterest. The American social media platform recorded an increase of up to 40 percent on average in the number of monthly users. Compared to its competitors such as Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest leaves no room for hatred and violence. With revenues up 60 percent, a 291-percent increase in market value was reported over 2020. Last December, Pinterest’s market value was estimated at $41 billion.
10. Twilio. The American cloud communications platform as a service (CPaaS) company has seen its revenues grow by 51 percent in the first nine months of 2020, following a large increase of demand during the pandemic. The end-2020 market value of the company is estimated at $51 billion. Twilio has recorded an increase in market value in the range of 279 percent over the pandemic year.

All in all, 30 American companies appear in the complete top 100 which is widely dominated by the technology and ecommerce sectors.

Source: Financial Times (January 2021)