List of companies of France

Location of France

France is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in western Europe, as well as several overseas regions and territories. A member of the Group of 7 (formerly G8) leading industrialised countries, as of 2014, it is ranked as the world's ninth-largest and the EU's second-largest economy by purchasing power parity.[1] With 31 of the 500 biggest companies in the world in 2015, France ranks fourth in the Fortune Global 500, ahead of Germany and the UK.[2] According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), in 2009 France was the world's sixth-largest exporter and the fourth-largest importer of manufactured goods.[3][4]

French companies have maintained key positions in the insurance and banking industries: Axa is the world's largest insurance company. The leading French banks are BNP Paribas and the Crédit agricole, ranking as the world's largest and sixth-largest banks in 2010[5] (by assets), while the Société Générale group was ranked the world's eighth-largest in 2009.

For further information on the types of business entities in this country and their abbreviations, see "Business entities in France".

Largest firms

This list shows firms in the Fortune Global 500, which ranks firms by total revenues reported before 31 March 2017.[6] Only the top five firms (if available) are included as a sample.

Rank Image Name 2016 revenues (US$M) Employees Notes
25 Axa $143,722 97,707 Paris-based multinational insurance firm diversified into investments and other financial services. Notable subsidiaries include Axa UK, Axa Ireland, Axa PPP Healthcare, Axa Bank Europe, Axa Equitable Life Insurance Company (USA), and Ardian.
30 TotalEnergies $127,925 102,168 Multinational integrated crude oil and natural gas company, including exploration, production, power generation, transportation, refining, marketing, and international oil and product trading.
43 BNP Paribas $109,026 184,839 International banking group and one of the largest banks in the world. Currently serves more than 30 million customers in four primary domestic markets: France, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg.
67 Carrefour $87,112 384,151 French multinational retailer which operates one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world. The firm is headquartered in Massy, Essonne.[7]
80 Crédit Agricole $80,258 70,830 international full-service banking group based on a network of cooperative and mutual banks. The firm has a historical foundation based in farming.

Largest companies by market capitalization

The following table lists the largest French companies by market capitalization as of March 2026, based on European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) regulatory filings and share prices from their primary exchange listings.[8]

RankCompanyMarket cap (billion USD)
1LVMH268.7
2L'Oréal212.9
3Hermès211.0
4TotalEnergies198.8
5Schneider Electric158.1
6Safran140.7
7Air Liquide112.2
8BNP Paribas109.0
9Sanofi108.6
10EssilorLuxottica105.8
11AXA92.8
12Vinci80.8
13Engie80.0
14Thales59.1
15Crédit Agricole56.5
16Société Générale55.2
17Orange52.7
18Danone51.3
19Legrand40.9
20Saint-Gobain38.9
21Kering33.0
22Dassault Systèmes26.8
23Veolia26.7
24Bouygues22.0
25Publicis20.6

Notable firms

This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.

Notable companies
Status: P=Private, S=State; A=Active, D=Defunct
Name Industry Sector Headquarters Founded Notes Status
   
Aéropostale Consumer services Airlines Toulouse 1918 Aviation, defunct 1933 P D
Aérospatiale-Matra Industrials Defense Paris[9] 1999 Military contractor, defunct 2000 P D
Air France-KLM Consumer services Airlines Tremblay-en-France 2004 Aviation P A
Airbus Industrials Aerospace Toulouse 1970 Aeronautical products P A
Air Liquide Industrial Chemical Paris 1902 Industrial gas P A
Alcatel Submarine Networks Telecommunications Telecommunications equipment Les Ulis 1994 Manufacture and installation of submarine cables P A
Alcatel-Lucent Technology Telecommunications equipment Boulogne-Billancourt 2006 Defunct 2016, now part of Nokia (Finland) P D
Ales Groupe Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1969 Cosmetics P A
Alstom Industrials Railroads Saint-Ouen 1928 Railway transport P A
Alten Technology Computer services Boulogne-Billancourt 1988 Information technology and engineering consulting P A
Altran Industrials Business support services Paris 1982 Engineering consulting, part of Capgemini P A
Amundi Financials Asset managers Paris 2010 Asset management P A
Arianespace Industrials Aerospace Courcouronnes 1980 Commercial launch provider, part of ArianeGroup P A
ArianeGroup Industrials Aerospace & defense Issy-les-Moulineaux 2015 Aerospace, defense and security, joint venture between Airbus and Safran P A
Arkema Basic materials Specialty chemicals Puteaux 2004 Specialty materials P A
Arte Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Strasburg 1991 French - German television P A
Astrium Industrials Aerospace Paris 2006 Aerospace manufacturer, defunct 2013 P D
AT Internet Technology Internet Bordeaux 1995 Web analytics P A
Atisreal Financials Real estate services Levallois-Perret 2003 Property consultancy, defunct 2009 P D
Atos Technology Software Bezons 1988 Software and IT consulting P A
Auchan Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Croix 1961 Retail food, supermarkets P A
Axa Financials Full line insurance Paris 1817 Life, property insurance P A
Babolat Consumer goods Recreational products Lyon 1875 Sports equipment P A
Baccarat Consumer goods Durable household products Paris 1764 Glassware, fine crystal P A
Banque de l'Indochine Financials Banks Paris 1875 Defunct 1974, now part of Crédit Agricole P D
Banque Populaire Financials Banks Paris 1878 Bank, part of Groupe BPCE P A
Bel Group Consumer goods Food products Paris 1865 Cheese P A
Biscuiterie Saint-Michel Consumer goods Food products Contres 1905 Biscuits P A
BNP Paribas Financials Banks Paris 1848 Banking group P A
Bolloré Conglomerates - Puteaux 1822 Logistics, industry P A
Bonduelle Consumer goods Food products Villeneuve d'Ascq 1853 Food P A
Bouygues Telecom Telecommunications Mobile telecommunications Paris 1994 Part of Bouygues P A
Bouygues Conglomerates - Paris 1952 Telecommunications, industrials, travel & leisure P A
Brittany Ferries Industrials Marine transportation Roscoff 1972 Ferries P A
Bugatti Automobiles Consumer goods Automobiles Molsheim 1998 Part of Bugatti Rimac (Croatia) P A
Bureau Veritas Industrials Business support services Neuilly-sur-Seine 1828 Testing, inspection, certification P A
Canal+ Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Issy-les-Moulineaux 1984 Television P A
Capgemini Industrials Business support services Paris 1967 Technology consulting P A
Carrefour Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Boulogne-Billancourt 1958 Hypermarkets P A
Cartier Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Saint-Ouen 1847 Jewelry, watches P A
Celio Consumer services Apparel retailers Paris 1978 Clothing retailer P A
Chanel Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Neuilly-sur-Seine 1909 Fashion P A
Christian Dior SE Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1946 Luxury goods P A
Citroën Consumer goods Automobiles Rueil-Malmaison 1919 Car manufacturer, part of Stellantis (Netherlands) P A
Clarins Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1954 Cosmetics P A
CMA CGM Industrials Delivery services Marseille 1978 Shipping P A
Com One group Technology Telecommunications equipment Cestas 1987 P D
Crédit Agricole Financials Banks Montrouge 1894 Banking network P A
Crédit Commercial de France Financials Banks Paris 1894 Commercial bank, now HSBC France part of HSBC (UK) P D
Crédit Mutuel Financials Banks Paris 1882 Banking group P A
Conforama Consumer services Retail Saint-Priest 1967 Europe's second largest home furnishment company P A
Covivio Financials Real estate Paris 1998 Real estate P A
Crédit Foncier de France Financials Banks Charenton-le-Pont 1852 Bank, part of Groupe BPCE P A
Crédit Lyonnais Financials Banks Paris 1863 Defunct, now part of Crédit Agricole P D
Criteo Technology Internet Paris 2005 Online advertising P A
Danone Consumer goods Food products Paris 1919 Food and dairy P A
Dassault Aviation Industrials Aerospace & defense Saint-Cloud 1929 Aircraft manufacturer P A
Dassault Systèmes Technology Software Vélizy-Villacoublay 1981 Software P A
De Dietrich Industrials Industrial machinery Schiltigheim 1684 Chemical industry equipment P A
Debacq & Cie Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1812 Jewelry, watches P A
Decathlon Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Villeneuve-d'Ascq 1976 Clothing and sportswear P A
Dexia Financials Banks Paris 1996 Franco-Belgian, defunct P D
Diptyque Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1961 Luxury goods P A
E.Leclerc Consumer services Cooperative society Ivry-sur-Seine 1948 Retailer P A
Edenred Industrials Specialized consumer services Paris 2010 Food services and facilities P A
Éditions Philippe Amaury Consumer services Publishing Boulogne-Billancourt 1944 Newspaper, television P A
EFI Automotive Consumer goods Auto parts Beynost 1936 Automotive parts P A
Eiffage Industrials Construction Asnières-sur-Seine 1992 Construction P A
Électricité de France (EDF) Utilities Conventional electricity Paris 1946 Power generation S A
Elf Aquitaine Oil & gas Exploration & production Courbevoie[10] 1967 Merged into TotalEnergies in 2003. P D
Engie Utilities Electricity generation Courbevoie 2008 Merger of Gaz de France and Suez P A
Eramet Basic materials Nonferrous metals Paris 1880 Mining, metals P A
Essilor Healthcare Medical Equipment Charenton-le-Pont 1849 Optical lenses P A
Eutelsat Telecommunications Mobile telecommunications Paris 1977 Satellite provider P A
Fnac Consumer services Specialty retailers Ivry-sur-Seine 1954 Retail chain P A
Forvia Consumer goods Auto parts Nanterre 1997 Automotive parts P A
Framatome Nuclear industries Nuclear engineering Courbevoie 1958 Nuclear reactors S A
Galeries Lafayette Consumer services Broadline retailers Paris 1912 Department store chain P A
Gandi Technology Internet Paris 1999 Domain name registrar P A
Gecina Financials Real estate Paris 1959 Real estate P A
Genset Health care Biotechnology Paris 1989 Defunct 2002, now part of Merck Serono (Germany) P D
Getlink Industrials Transportation services Paris 1986 Infrastructure, operates Channel Tunnel P A
Groupama Financials Full line insurance Paris 1900 Insurance P A
Groupe BPCE Financials Banks Paris 2009 Bank P A
Groupe Bull Technology Computer hardware Les Clayes-sous-Bois 1931 Computer manufacturer P A
Groupe Casino Consumer services Broadline retailer Saint-Étienne 1898 Retailer P A
Groupe SEB Consumer goods Consumer electronics Ecully 1857 Small appliances P A
Hachette Consumer services Publishing Paris 1826 Publisher, part of Lagardère Group P A
Hachette Filipacchi Médias Consumer services Publishing Paris 1826 Magazine publisher, part of Lagardère Group P A
Havas Consumer services Media agencies Paris 1968 Advertising and PR P A
Hermès Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1837 Luxury goods P A
Hutchinson SA Industrials Diversified industrials Paris 1853 Diversified manufacturing P A
Iliad SA Telecommunications Fixed line telecommunications Paris 1990 Telecom P A
Imerys Basic materials General mining Paris 1880 Mining, industrial minerals P A
Ipsen Health care Pharmaceuticals Paris 1929 Pharmaceuticals P A
Ipsos Industrials Business support services Paris 1975 Market research P A
JCDecaux Industrials Electronic equipment Neuilly-sur-Seine 1964 Display and advertising equipment P A
Keolis Consumer services Travel & tourism Paris 2001 Transport group P A
Kering Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1963 Luxury goods (formerly known as PPR) P A
KNDS France Industrials Defense Versailles 1973 Weapons manufacturer P A
La Poste Industrials Delivery services Paris 1991 Postal services P A
Laboratoires Expanscience Health care Pharmaceuticals Paris 1950 Pharma and cosmetics P A
Lacoste Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1933 Clothing P A
Lactalis Consumer goods Food products Laval 1933 Dairy P A
Lafarge Industrials Building materials & fixtures Paris 1833 Construction and concrete, part of Holcim P A
Lafuma Consumer goods Recreational products Paris 1930 Outdoor equipment P A
Lagardère Group Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 1922 Media conglomerate P A
Lancôme Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1935 Cosmetics, part of L'Oréal P A
Le Zèbre Consumer goods Automobiles Suresnes 1907 Automobiles, defunct 1931 P D
L'Oréal Consumer goods Personal products Clichy 1909 Cosmetics P A
Louis Vuitton Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1854 Part of LVMH P A
LVMH Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1987 Luxury goods group P A
Maisons du Monde Consumer goods Household furnishings Vertou 1996 Furniture and home decor retail P A
Mandriva Technology Software Paris 1995 Software, defunct 2015 P D
Mane Basic materials Specialty chemicals Le Bar-sur-Loup 1871 Flavours, fragrances P A
Manuloc Industrials Logistics Metz 1964 Forklifts P D
Société nationale maritime Corse Méditerranée Industrials Marine transportation Marseille 1969 Ferries, defunct 2015, now Corsica Linea P D
Matra Marconi Space Industrials Aerospace Toulouse 1996 Defunct 2000, now EADS Astrium P D
Matra Consumer goods Automobiles Romorantin-Lanthenay 1964 Defunct 2003, now part of Lagardère Group P D
Mersen Industrials Diversified industrials Courbevoie 1891 Manufacturing P A
Michelin Consumer goods Tires Clermont-Ferrand 1889 Tires P A
Montagut Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut 1880 Clothing P A
MoonScoop Group Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 2003 Animation production, defunct 2014 P D
Motul Basic materials Speciality chemicals Aubervilliers 1853 Lubricants P A
Naval Group Industrials Defense Paris 1631 Shipyards P A
Neoen Energy Alternative energy Paris 2008 Renewable energy P A
Nexans Industrials Electrical components Paris 2000 Cable manufacturing P A
Neyco Industrials Diversified industrials Vanves 1956 Vacuum, Material and Thin Film P A
Norauto Consumer goods Auto parts Lesquin 1970 Car parts and repairs P A
Opella Health care Pharmaceuticals Neuilly-sur-Seine 2018 Pharmaceuticals P A
OPmobility Consumer goods Auto parts Levallois 1946 Automotive parts P A
Orange S.A. Telecommunications Mobile telecommunications Paris 1988 Telecom P A
Orano Nuclear industries Nuclear cycle Courbevoie 2017 Uranium, nuclear fuel, nuclear recycling S A
Oxbow Consumer goods Recreational products Mérignac 1985 Sporting goods, part of Lafuma P A
Panzani Consumer goods Food products Lyon 1950 Food P A
Parrot SA Consumer goods Recreational products Paris 1994 Micro-UAVs P A
Pentalog Industrials Business support services Orléans 1993 Offshoring, business support P A
Pernod Ricard Consumer goods Distillers & vintners Paris 1975 Distilled beverages P A
Peugeot Consumer goods Automobiles Rueil-Malmaison 1810 Car manufacturer, part of Stellantis (Netherlands) P A
PGM Précision Industrials Defense Poisy 1991 Firearms P A
Picard Surgelés Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Fontainebleau 1962 Frozen food retail P A
PSA Group Consumer goods Automobiles Rueil-Malmaison 1976 Merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis P D
Publicis Industrials Business support services Paris 1926 Marketing and PR P A
RATP Group Consumer services Travel & tourism Paris 1948 Public transport S A
Renault Consumer goods Automobiles Boulogne-Billancourt 1899 Car manufacturer P A
Renault Trucks Industrials Commercial vehicles & trucks Saint-Priest 1978 Trucks P A
Rexel Industrials Electrical components & equipment Paris 1967 Commercial equipment P A
Rhodia Basic materials Specialty chemicals La Défense 1998 Chemicals, part of Solvay S.A. (Belgium) P A
Rhône-Poulenc Basic materials Specialty chemicals Paris 1928 Chemical, merged with Hoechst AG to form Aventis P D
Robertet Basic materials Specialty chemicals Grasse 1850 Fragrances, Flavors, natural ingredients P A
Safran Industrials Aerospace Paris 2005 Aircraft engines P A
Saft Industrials Electrical components Levallois-Perret 1918 Batteries P A
SAGEM Technology Telecommunications equipment Paris 1924 Defunct 2005, now Safran P D
Sagemcom Technology Telecommunications equipment Bois-Colombes 2007 Telecommunications equipment P A
Saint-Gobain Industrials Building materials & fixtures Courbevoie 1665 Building materials P A
Salomon Group Consumer goods Recreational products Épagny-Metz-Tessy 1947 Sports equipment P A
Sanofi Health care Pharmaceuticals Paris 2004 Formed by merger of Sanofi-Synthélabo and Aventis (the original incarnation of Sanofi was established in 1973) P A
Savencia Consumer goods Food products Viroflay 1956 Food and dairy P A
Schneider Electric Industrials Electrical components & equipment Rueil-Malmaison 1836 Energy and automation equipment P A
SCOR SE Financials Reinsurance Paris 1970 Reinsurance P A
SDV International Logistics Industrials Delivery services Puteaux 1885 Logistics P A
Sephora Consumer services Specialty retailers Paris 1969 Cosmetic retailer P A
Servier Health care Pharmaceuticals Suresnes 1954 Pharmaceuticals P A
SFR Telecommunications Fixed line telecommunications Paris 1987 Telecom, ISP, owned by Altice P A
Sigfox Technology Telecommunications equipment Labège 2009 Wireless devices P A
SNCF Consumer services Travel & tourism Saint-Denis 1938 Passenger rail S A
Snecma Industrials Aerospace Courcouronnes 1945 Engines, part of Safran P A
Société Bic Consumer goods Nondurable household products Clichy 1945 Consumer goods P A
Société Générale Financials Banks Nanterre 1864 Banking and financial services P A
Sodexo Industrials Specialized consumer services Issy-les-Moulineaux 1966 Food services and facilities P A
Sogeti Technology Software Paris 2002 IT consulting, part of Capgemini P A
Soitec Technology Electronic Components Bernin 1992 Manufactures substrates used in the manufacturing of semiconductors P A
Sopra Steria Technology Software Annecy 1968 Consulting and development P A
Suez Utilities Multiutilities Paris 1997 Utilities, defunct 2008 P D
Technicolor SA Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Issy-les-Moulineaux 1893 Media support P A
Technip Industrials Business support services Paris 1958 Business support, merged into TechnipFMC (UK) P D
TF1 Group Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Boulogne-Billancourt 1987 Media holdings P A
Thales Group Industrials Aerospace La Défense 2000 Aerospace electrical P A
Thomson-CSF Industrials Defense Paris 1879 Merged into Thales Group P D
TotalEnergies Oil & gas Integrated oil & gas Courbevoie 1924 Petrolueum P A
Valeo Consumer goods Auto parts Paris 1923 Automotive parts P A
Vallourec Basic materials Metal fabricating Meudon 1957 Steel pipes P A
Valneva Health care Biotechnology Saint-Herblain 2013 Vaccines P A
Valode & Pistre Industrials Business support services Paris 1980 Architecture P A
Veolia Utilities Water Paris 1853 Water utilities and treatment P A
Vinci SA Industrials Heavy construction Rueil-Malmaison 1899 Construction P A
Viseo Consumer services Software and computer services Boulogne-Billancourt 1999 IT consulting P A
Vivendi Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 1853 Mass media P A
Waterman Consumer goods Nondurable household products Paris 1884 Pens, part of Sanford L.P. (US) P A
Yoplait Consumer goods Food products Boulogne-Billancourt 1965 Yogurt P A
Yves Rocher Consumer goods Personal products Rennes 1965 Cosmetics P A

See also

References

  1. ↑ "GDP, PPP (current international $)". Data.worldbank.org. The World Bank Group. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Fortune Global 500". Fortune. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Country Comparison: Exports". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "International Trade Statistics 2008" (PDF). World Trade Organization (WTO). 2009. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "The 10 Largest Banks in the World". Doughroller.net. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  6. ↑ DeCarlo, Scott (20 July 2017). "The Fortune 2017 Global 500". Fortune.
  7. ↑ "Société CARREFOUR – SIREN 652 014 051" (in French). Annuaire des Entreprises (Registre National des Entreprises, INPI). Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "France - Largest Companies by Market Capitalization". Atlantis Data Solutions. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
  9. ↑ Aerospatiale-Matra S.A.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg
  10. ↑ Elf Aquitaine S.A.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg