The 2026 Fortune 500 Europe companies generated combined revenue of $15.5 trillion, up 4% from the previous year and equivalent to half of Europe’s GDP and 13% of global GDP. Profits rose 3% to slightly more than $1 trillion after declining 5% the previous year, although the aggregate profit margin narrowed to 6.5% from 7.1% on the 2024 list. Volkswagen retained the top position for a third consecutive year with revenue of $363 billion, while Shell ranked second after a 5% revenue decline. The U.K. surpassed Germany in company representation for the first time, with 76 companies versus 73, while France had 66. Financial services remained the largest sector, accounting for 24% of revenue, 40% of profits and 14% of employment. The 500 companies reduced their workforce by 1% to 34.6 million, while revenue and profit per employee increased 5% and 4%, respectively. HSBC led the profit ranking with more than $22 billion in 2025 earnings. Female CEOs led 43 companies, or 8.6% of the list, a record for the ranking but below the 11% share in the U.S. Fortune 500.