Wal-Mart Stores remained at the top of the Fortune Global 500 list for the fourth consecutive year, Fortune magazine reports in its edition dated July 25.

The Fortune ranking is based on revenues. Revenues of Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retail chain, increased to 287.9 billion dollars in 2004, surpassing other biggest global companies.

Using profitability, however, US-based Exxon Mobil would be at the top of the Fortune Global 500 list with a profit of 25.3 billion dollars for 2004. The oil company was ranked number three on the list based on revenues.

British-based oil giant BP remained at number two on the list. Its revenues rose 23 percent last year to 285.1 billion dollars.

There were two more oil companies in the top 10 on the list: Royal Dutch/Shell, number four, and France's Total, number 10.

The top 10 on the list also included four automakers: General Motors, number five; DaimlerChrysler, number six; Toyota, number seven; and Ford, number eight.

General Electric remained number nine on the list.

As a whole, the Fortune Global 500's revenues in 2004 surged 13 percent and profits jumped 27 percent.

According to the magazine, the United States had 176 companies on the list, the largest number in all countries. But that was 14 fewer than the previous year. The number of Chinese companies on the list rose to 16, up from 15 in the previous year and three in 1995.

Tokyo had more top 500 companies than any other city, with 56. Paris had 27, followed by London, 24 and New York, 22.

Source: Xinhua