Top 10 Most Admired Companies to Watch in 2026

Being big doesn’t make a company admired. A popular stock won’t do it either.

Every year, Fortune and Korn Ferry put one question to the people who run, oversee and analyze big business: which companies do you admire most? The 2026 results came out on January 21, 2026, based on a poll of more than 3,000 executives, directors and analysts. The full list has 324 companies from 22 countries, and this is its 28th year.

Some familiar names hold the top spots, but the table isn’t frozen. Apple is No. 1 for the 19th year in a row. Nvidia is No. 4 and JPMorgan Chase is No. 5, and a chip designer and a software maker made the top 50 for the first time, both on the back of AI demand. A few long-time names fell off the list. These are the most admired companies in the world today, and the reasons behind their reputations say a lot about what business leaders value in 2026.

Also Read: Top 10 Companies in World 2026

This guide looks at the top 10 most admired companies to watch in 2026, in the exact order of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2026 list, with the latest results and news for each one.

What Makes a Company “Most Admired” in 2026?

Fortune calls the list a ranking of corporate reputation. It isn’t a revenue table, so the order may surprise you if you expect the biggest companies to come first.

Peers Do the Judging

The All-Star list of 50 companies is voted on by the wider business community, including leaders from all industries. Separate industry rankings ask insiders what they think of their own businesses and their closest competitors.

Nine Attributes Behind the Score

In the industry rankings, respondents score companies in nine categories. These include quality of management, ability to attract talent and stewardship of corporate assets.

Resilience and Innovation Count

According to Korn Ferry, the companies at the top are seen as having financial stability, innovation, respected leadership and global expansion. Fortune’s Alyson Shontell said they “have set the bar for real innovation, resilient leadership, and global impact.”

AI Is Reshaping the List

Advanced Micro Devices came in at No. 48 and Workday tied at No. 49, both lifted by AI demand. Target, PepsiCo, Novo Nordisk and Adobe are no longer in the top 50. Target’s exit ended a 24-year run on the All-Star list.

Top 10 Most Admired Companies in the World at a Glance

Top 10 Most Admired Companies to Watch in 2026

Here are the 2026 top 10 in Fortune’s order, with each company’s latest reported numbers. All figures are in US dollars.

1. Apple

Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. It’s based at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. For fiscal 2025, which ended September 27, 2025, Apple reported net sales of $416.2 billion, including $109.2 billion from services, and net income of $112.0 billion. Its September quarter set a revenue record at $102.5 billion.

Apple has held the top spot on Fortune’s list for 19 years in a row, and it has been No. 1 in the computer industry in 16 of the last 17 years. Respondents praised how it manages talent, capital and supply chains, though some worry about its “lack of progress in AI.” There’s been a big change at the top, too. John Ternus, who joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and went on to lead hardware engineering, became CEO on September 1, 2026. Tim Cook moved to executive chairman.

Key Strengths
✔ iPhone, Mac, iPad and wearables ecosystem
✔ Services business above $100 billion a year
✔ Supply chain and capital management praised by peers
✔ Leadership handover from Cook to Ternus in 2026

Best for: Studying how a brand keeps its reputation at the top for nearly two decades.

2. Microsoft

Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s now headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with Satya Nadella as chairman and CEO. In fiscal 2026, which ended June 30, 2026, revenue rose 18% to $331.8 billion and net income grew 31% to $133.7 billion.

Cloud keeps Microsoft growing. Azure and other cloud services grew 43% in the June quarter, and Nadella said Azure revenue “surpassed $100 billion for the first time” this year. Microsoft Cloud brought in $59.3 billion in that quarter alone. Microsoft has been on the All-Star list every year since the list began in 1998, and it has shared the top three with Apple and Amazon for the last seven years.

Key Strengths
✔ Azure cloud and AI infrastructure
✔ Microsoft 365 and enterprise software
✔ A place on every All-Star list since 1998
✔ Net income up 31% in fiscal 2026

Best for: Enterprises looking at how a legacy software giant rebuilt itself around cloud and AI.

3. Amazon

Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, in Bellevue, Washington. It now lists Seattle and Arlington County, Virginia, as its headquarters, and Andy Jassy is president and CEO. In the second quarter of 2026, net sales rose 20% to $200.6 billion, and operating income increased 43% to $27.5 billion.

Much of Amazon’s momentum comes from its cloud business. AWS made $42.2 billion in the quarter, up 37%, which Jassy called its “fastest growth in 18 quarters.” Advertising grew 26%. Net income was $62.6 billion, a number that includes $53.4 billion of non-operating income, mainly from Amazon’s investments in Anthropic. Amazon has been in the top three on this list for the last seven years.

Key Strengths
✔ AWS cloud and AI services
✔ Global online retail and logistics
✔ Fast-growing advertising business
✔ Top-three ranking for seven straight years

Best for: Leaders who want to see scale and reinvention working at the same time.

4. Nvidia

Nvidia was founded on April 5, 1993, by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, and it’s based in Santa Clara, California. Huang still serves as president and CEO. In the second quarter of fiscal 2027, which ended July 26, 2026, revenue jumped 106% to $96.2 billion. Data center revenue rose 117% to $89.0 billion.

Fortune called Nvidia the world’s most valuable company when the 2026 list came out, and its market value hit about $5.04 trillion in October 2025. Nvidia has been No. 1 in the semiconductor industry in nine of the last 10 years; 2022 was the only exception. It forecast third-quarter revenue of $108.0 billion, plus or minus 2%, without any data center compute sales to China. “AI has reached its inflection point,” Huang said.

Key Strengths
✔ GPUs and full AI data center systems
✔ Data center revenue of $89.0 billion in one quarter
✔ No. 1 in semiconductors in nine of 10 years
✔ Software and networking around its chips

Best for: Anyone tracking where AI infrastructure spending is going.

5. JPMorgan Chase

New York-based JPMorgan Chase has more than $5 trillion in total assets, and Jamie Dimon is chairman and CEO. In the third quarter of 2026, it reported net income of $15.3 billion, or $5.57 per share, on reported revenue of $50.2 billion. Managed revenue was $50.9 billion, up 8%.

The bank had a strong showing in this year’s survey. JPMorgan Chase overtook Morgan Stanley as the No. 1 megabank, the fifth time in five years that the top spot in that industry has changed hands. It reported a record $21.2 billion in net income for the second quarter of 2026. In the third quarter, net interest income rose 13% to $27.1 billion, and return on tangible common equity was 20%.

Key Strengths
✔ Consumer banking through Chase
✔ Investment banking and markets
✔ Asset and wealth management
✔ No. 1 megabank in Fortune’s 2026 industry ranking

Best for: Benchmarking how a global bank balances scale, risk and returns.

6. Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway is the conglomerate Warren Buffett built. Its businesses include GEICO, BNSF railroad, Dairy Queen, See’s Candy, Brooks Running, NetJets and Pilot travel centers, plus utility and manufacturing companies. Greg Abel became CEO on January 1, 2026, after more than 25 years at Berkshire. Buffett stays on as chairman and is still the largest shareholder.

Abel led his first annual meeting in Omaha on May 2, 2026. First-quarter profit more than doubled to $10.1 billion, and cash climbed to $397.4 billion. By the end of June, cash had dipped to $365.5 billion after Berkshire put $10 billion into Alphabet and bought back about $4.5 billion of its own shares. Berkshire has made the All-Star list every year since 1998 and the top 10 for well over a decade.

Key Strengths
✔ Insurance, led by GEICO
✔ BNSF railroad and energy businesses
✔ A deep bench of consumer and industrial brands
✔ One of the largest cash reserves in business

Best for: Long-term thinkers interested in how a culture survives a CEO succession.

7. Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale was founded on September 15, 1983, in Seattle. It’s headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, and Ron Vachris is president and CEO. In fiscal 2026, the 52 weeks ended August 30, 2026, net sales totaled $297.2 billion and net income was $9.2 billion. Costco ended the year with 939 warehouses, 647 of them in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Membership drives the business. Costco had 84.1 million paid members at year-end, up 3.8%, and membership fees brought in $5.91 billion for the year. The renewal rate was 92.3% in the U.S. and Canada and 89.8% worldwide. Vachris said Costco plans to open another 33 warehouses in fiscal 2027, including five relocations.

Key Strengths
✔ Paid membership model with high renewals
✔ Warehouses in 14 markets
✔ Kirkland Signature private label
✔ Steady expansion plans for fiscal 2027

Best for: Retailers studying customer loyalty that customers pay for.

8. Alphabet

Alphabet was formed on October 2, 2015, as the parent of Google. It’s headquartered at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California, and Sundar Pichai is CEO. In the second quarter of 2026, revenue rose 24% to $119.8 billion, and Google Cloud revenue increased 82% to $24.8 billion.

AI is now front and center. Pichai said the Gemini app has 950 million monthly active users and that nearly 90% of the Fortune 100 use Gemini Enterprise. Alphabet’s second-quarter net income of $112.1 billion included a $98.0 billion gain, mostly unrealized gains on equity securities. Alphabet has been in Fortune’s top 10 for well over a decade, and Berkshire Hathaway put $10 billion into the company this year.

Key Strengths
✔ Google Search and advertising
✔ Google Cloud, up 82% in Q2 2026
✔ Gemini AI models and apps
✔ YouTube and Android platforms

Best for: Companies watching how search and cloud are being rebuilt around AI.

9. Walmart

Walmart was founded by Sam Walton and Bud Walton on July 2, 1962, and its headquarters is in Bentonville, Arkansas. It employs about 2.1 million people. John Furner, who had been leading Walmart’s U.S. business, replaced Doug McMillon as CEO on February 1, 2026.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2027, reported on August 20, 2026, revenue increased 5.9% to $187.9 billion. Global eCommerce sales rose 23%, and the global advertising business grew 38%. Those two lines show how Walmart is turning its store network into a digital and media business, not just a place to shop. Scale, pricing power and delivery reach keep it near the top.

Key Strengths
✔ Everyday low prices at huge scale
✔ eCommerce up 23% in the latest quarter
✔ Fast-growing retail media business
✔ Sam’s Club and international operations

Best for: Leaders who want to see an old-line retailer run a digital playbook.

10. American Express

American Express was founded on March 18, 1850, in Buffalo, New York. Its headquarters is at 200 Vesey Street in New York City, and Stephen Squeri is chairman and CEO. In the third quarter of 2026, revenue net of interest expense rose 9% to $20.1 billion, and net income grew 28% to $3.7 billion.

Card member spending, known as billed business, rose 8% to $454.0 billion in the quarter. Diluted earnings per share were $5.42, and American Express raised its full-year EPS guidance to between $18.30 and $18.60. Its premium cards, travel benefits and closed-loop network help explain why peers rate it so highly.

Key Strengths
✔ Premium charge and credit cards
✔ Closed-loop payments network
✔ Travel and lifestyle benefits
✔ Raised 2026 earnings guidance

Best for: Brands that want to learn how premium customers stay loyal.

How to Read the World’s Most Admired Companies List

The list is a useful snapshot, but only if you know what it measures and what it leaves out.

It Measures Reputation, Not Size

The ranking shows how executives, directors and analysts see a company. A large company can rank behind a smaller competitor that has a stronger name with its peers.

Check the Industry Rankings Too

The top 50 gets most of the attention, but the industry lists often show more movement. This year, L’Oréal displaced Procter & Gamble in soaps and cosmetics, and GE Aerospace ended Lockheed Martin’s five-year run at No. 1 in aerospace and defense.

Look Beyond the U.S.

All of this year’s top 10 are American, but the list is global. Toyota Motor was the highest-ranked Asian company on the All-Star list, and Airbus made its first All-Star appearance in 2026.

Pair It With the Numbers

Reputation and results usually go together, but not always. Read each company’s latest quarterly report alongside its ranking to see whether the admiration is backed by current performance.

Watch Leadership Changes

Three of this year’s top 10 changed CEOs in 2026: Apple, Berkshire Hathaway and Walmart. How those handovers play out could shape the 2027 rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Most Admired Companies

Which is the most admired company in the world in 2026?

Apple is No. 1 on the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2026 list. It’s the 19th year in a row that Apple has ranked first.

Who publishes the World’s Most Admired Companies list?

Fortune publishes the list with its research partner Korn Ferry. The 2026 edition came out on January 21, 2026, and it’s based on a poll of more than 3,000 executives, directors and analysts.

How many companies are on the 2026 list?

The full list ranks 324 companies from 22 countries. The All-Star list highlights the top 50, and separate industry lists rank companies by sector.

Is the most admired company the best one to work for or invest in?

Not always. Each list measures something different. This one is about reputation among business leaders, while others rank companies by employee ratings or stock returns. There’s no single best company for everyone, so use the ranking as one input among several.

Conclusion

The 2026 list rewards companies that pair steady leadership with a clear view of where their industries are heading. Apple keeps its crown, Microsoft and Amazon stay in the top three, and Nvidia’s place at No. 4 shows how quickly AI has changed what peers admire.

For leaders, the lesson is practical. Reputation is built through decisions about talent, capital and long-term strategy, and the most admired companies to watch in 2026 are the ones still making those calls well while the ground shifts under them.

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