Despite the scale and longevity of Europe’s largest businesses, many are struggling to achieve the same pace of growth as companies in the U.S.
The combined revenues of the companies on the Fortune 500 Europe list rose 4% to a record high of $15.5 trillion this year and profits climbed 3% to $1 trillion. However, on a constant currency basis, the percentage increase in revenues is less than 1% and net profits actually declined. In contrast, the U.S. companies on the Fortune 500 saw profits rise by 12.4% and revenue by 5.4%.
