Top 30 US companies in the NASDAQ index 2021

San Francisco skyline

Technology and innovative companies thrive in the United States where they have access to a large and sophisticated market and dedicated stock exchange, the Nasdaq. The thirty largest publicly traded companies in the Nasdaq Composite index are here presented together with their activities, logos, and useful links.

In the US, large companies are incorporated to get publicly listed on a stock exchange. They can then obtain capital from stock market investors but they must also comply with the regulations of the Securities Exchange Commission. These corporations are then quoted in real-time on their chosen stock exchange which ensures proper market conditions for the trading of stocks, the New York Stock Exchange – NYSE – or the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.

Nasdaq logo

The Nasdaq, acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, is a distinct stock exchange from the historic NYSE. Besides some regulatory differences between the two exchanges, the main distinction is that the NYSE requires an intermediary trading dealer between buyers and sellers of listed companies’ stocks, while the Nasdaq allows direct transactions between buyers and sellers through an auction system.

This more decentralized approach has over the years attracted many companies focusing on growth through new sectors, markets, and processes to get listed on the Nasdaq, especially, but not exclusively, technological and innovative companies. Therefore, companies that get listed on the Nasdaq tend to be younger, more dynamic, and more focused on technology, science, and innovation, than businesses in more traditional industries, such as manufacturing or finance, which often favor the NYSE.

Check our data platform for the latest ranking of US companies and Nasdaq companies.

The Nasdaq Composite Index

To ease the comprehension of the Nasdaq stock market dynamics, and give a taste of how the technology sector is evolving, common stocks and similar securities listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market are aggregated to form the Nasdaq Composite index, often simply referred to as the Nasdaq index, one of the three key indices of the US financial markets with the Dow Jones and S&P 500.

It is measured through the evolution of all the stocks and other securities quoted solely on the Nasdaq stock exchange: Common Stock, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Limited Partnership Interests, Ordinary Shares, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Shares of Beneficial Interest (SBIs) and Tracking Stocks.

The Nasdaq-100 Index

For an easier evaluation and trading, based on a smaller subset of securities, the Nasdaq-100 index allows the tracking of more than 90% of the movement of the Nasdaq Composite by only considering the securities of about 100 companies. It is a modified capitalization-weighted index that gives more weight to a company as its market capitalization is higher.

Imagined as indices tracking the evolution of Nasdaq companies, the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq-100 are usually only considered to be rough benchmarks for US innovative and tech companies, not for the broader American stocks and economy. To that end, the S&P 500 index is usually preferred, as it follows the evolution of the largest 500 American companies, including most of the largest companies quoted on the Nasdaq, but also large companies quoted on the NYSE.

For more information on the largest American companies, download our S&P 500 companies Excel file containing the complete list of the 500 largest publicly listed companies in the US, together with extensive business, market, financial, and digital information on each company. For even more data on the largest US companies, download our Excel files on the Russell 1000 companiesRussell 2000 companies, or Russell 3000 companies.

Evolution of the Nasdaq Composite over 5 years
Evolution of the Nasdaq Composite over 5 years (Image: Google Finance)

The real-time quotation of the Nasdaq Composite and the Nasdaq-100 indices can be followed with convenient graphical tools from a number of sources, including Google Finance, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, etc.

For more information on other world-leading companies, check our series of posts on Top Companies, and for more information on the country, read our articles on Top Business Resources for the US.

List of the 30 largest companies of the Nasdaq Stock Market by market capitalization

To help you learn more about some of the leading Nasdaq companies, the 30 largest companies in the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, which are also the largest American components of the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq-100 indices, are listed hereafter. Each company is presented with details on its sector and industry, operations, a direct link to its website, market capitalization, logo, and stock symbol. The Nasdaq companies presented hereafter are ranked by market capitalization in US Dollars, as of effective close on Friday, January 29, 2021.

Remark that in order to establish this list of the 30 largest Nasdaq companies, the Invesco QQQ Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) has been omitted since it does not represent a company but a fund that tracks the Nasdaq’s evolution, even though its total capitalization would place it within the following list. Besides, note that four of the largest companies listed on the Nasdaq are also part of the Dow Jones companies: Microsoft, Apple, Cisco Systems, and Intel.

Note that if you are searching for information on these companies to invest in their stocks, make sure you know what you are doing as your investment will be subject to significant risks with the evolution of stock prices. To learn more about investing in the stock market and managing your portfolio, check our post on the best online courses on stock investing and trading.

Shortcuts to each Nasdaq company

To facilitate your browsing in this long list, here are quick links to go directly to the details of any of the top 30 Nasdaq Composite companies. Be sure to also check the Top 10 Nasdaq companies’ summary after the list!

30. Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences logoSector: Healthcare – Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Gilead Sciences, Inc., is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company focusing on antiviral drugs to treat HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and influenza, notably producing and commercializing the blockbuster drugs Harvoni and Sovald. Besides, Gilead conducts research to develop a pipeline of new drugs and treatments and it also considers the acquisition of other blockbuster drugs.

Website: gilead.com – Market Cap.: $82.2 Billion – Stock ticker: GILD

29. Micron Technology

Micron Technology logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Micron Technology, Inc., also known as Micron, is a semiconductor company, specialized in computer memory and computer data storage. It markets a range of products including dynamic random-access memory, flash memory, and USB flash drives under the brands Crucial and Ballistix. Micron partnered with Intel (see below) to create IM Flash technologies and to produce NAND flash memory.

Website: micron.com – Market Cap.: $87.6 Billion – Stock ticker: MU

28. Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical logoSector: Healthcare – Industry: Medical Instruments & Supplies

Intuitive Surgical Inc. is a medical device company developing, manufacturing, and marketing minimally invasive surgical platforms and future diagnostic tools. Its flagship product, the da Vinci robotic-assisted system,  allows surgeons to enter and explore the body through a single small incision; it was one of the first to be cleared by the American Food and Drug Administration.

Website: intuitive.com – Market Cap.: $87.9 Billion – Stock ticker: ISRG

27. Applied Materials

Applied Materials logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductor Equipment & Materials

Applied Materials, Inc. is a company that provides manufacturing equipment, software, and services for semiconductor, display screens, and related products. With a range of equipment and services used in the production of semiconductor chips, integrated circuits, TVs, monitors, personal computers, and other consumer-oriented devices Applied Materials also supplies equipment to enhance performance, and modify chemical and physical properties of the required materials.

Website: appliedmaterials.com – Market Cap.: $88.4 Billion – Stock ticker: AMAT

26. Intuit

Intuit logoSector: Technology – Industry: Application Software

Intuit Inc. is a software company specialized in financial, accounting, and tax preparation software and related services. It is especially famous for producing TurboTax, a consumer tax preparation application, QuickBooks, a small business accounting program, and operating Mint, a personal finance application, among others.

Website: intuit.com – Market Cap.: $99.0 Billion – Stock ticker: INTU

25. AMD

AMD logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., more simply known as AMD, is a multinational semiconductor company. It develops and manufactures a range of microprocessors and a number of other semiconductor components including motherboard chipsets, embedded processors, and graphics processing units (GPUs) for personal computers, servers, workstations, data centers, and embedded system applications.

Website: amd.com – Market Cap.: $103.1 Billion – Stock ticker: AMD

24. Zoom

Zoom logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Telecom Services

Zoom Video Communications, Inc., more simply known as Zoom, is a communications technology providing HD video, voice, chat, and content sharing. Through its cloud-based peer-to-peer software, Zoom users around the world can benefit from a number of applications including teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations on any internet-connected device.

Website: zoom.us – Market Cap.: $108.6 Billion – Stock ticker: ZM

23. Airbnb

Airbnb logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Internet Content & Information

Airbnb is a marketplace dedicated to connecting travelers to rooms, apartments, houses, and unique accommodations and experiences around the world. It helps list, discover, and book distinctive spaces and facilitates bookings and financial transactions.

Website: airbnb.com – Market Cap.: $109.5 Billion – Stock ticker: ABNB

22. Starbucks

Starbucks logoSector: Consumer Cyclical – Industry: Restaurants

Starbucks Corporation is a multinational coffee company and coffeehouse chain. It serves a range of hot and cold drinks, coffees, teas, fresh juices, and other beverages together with a selection of snacks, pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and drinkware. Starbucks has diversified in venues proposing alcoholic beverages in “Starbucks Evenings” locations, and coffee, ice-cream, and bottled drinks sold in grocery stores under the Starbucks brand.

Website: starbucks.com – Market Cap.: $114.0 Billion – Stock ticker: SBUX

21. Charter Communications

Charter Communications logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Entertainment

Charter Communications, Inc. is a telecommunications and mass media company. Operating under the Spectrum brand, Charter Communications is one of the largest cable operators, pay-TV operators, and telephone providers in the United States.

Website: corporate.charter.com – Market Cap.: $124.5 Billion – Stock ticker: CHTR

20. Amgen

Amgen logoSector: Healthcare – Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Amgen Inc. is a multinational biotechnology and pharmaceutical company. It produces various drugs, including Neulasta, which prevents infections for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy, Enbrel, a necrosis blocker for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Focusing on molecular biology and biochemistry, Amgen aims at developing health care through recombinant DNA technology.

Website: amgen.com – Market Cap.: $140.6 Billion – Stock ticker: AMGN

19. Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Texas Instruments Inc., also known as TI, is a company that produces semiconductors and integrated circuits. Tracing its origins to 1930, Texas Instruments is the world’s largest producer of analog technology components, providing analog chips and embedded processors, digital light processing technology, and education technology products such as calculators, microcontrollers, and multi-core processors.

Website: ti.com – Market Cap.: $152.3 Billion – Stock ticker: TXN

18. Costco

Costco logoSector: Consumer Defensive – Industry: Discount Stores

Costco Wholesale Corporation, simply known as Costco, is a multinational company operating a chain of warehouse clubs. Costco sells a wide range of products including electronics, computers, furniture, outdoor living, appliances, jewelry, and more, with more than 750 warehouses in the US, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, Iceland, and France.

Website: costco.com – Market Cap.: $156.1 Billion – Stock ticker: COST

17. T-Mobile US

T-Mobile US logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Telecom Services

T-Mobile US, more simply known as T-Mobile, is one of the largest wireless network operators in the US, providing wireless voice and data services, and host network for multiple mobile virtual network operators. Its majority shareholder is Deutsche Telekom, one of the largest German companies.

Website: t-mobile.com – Market Cap.: $156.5 Billion – Stock ticker: TMUS

16. Qualcomm

Qualcomm logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Qualcomm Inc. is a multinational company providing semiconductors and telecommunications equipment. It develops and commercializes wireless telecommunications products and services, with subsidiaries specializing in certain areas of operations: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies sells Qualcomm’s products and services, Qualcomm Technology Licensing manages the patent licensing business, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. conducts Qualcomm’s R&D activities.

Website: qualcomm.com – Market Cap.: $177.5 Billion – Stock ticker: QCOM

15. Broadcom

Broadcom logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Broadcom Inc. is a producer of semiconductors and infrastructure software solutions for data center, networking, software, broadband, wireless, and storage, and industrial markets. It regroups multiple subsidiaries, including Avago Technologies, LSI, Broadcom Corporation, Brocade, and CA Technologies, which are industry leaders in their field.

Website: broadcom.com – Market Cap.: $183.2 Billion – Stock ticker: AVGO

14. Cisco Systems

Cisco logoSector: Technology – Industry: Communication Equipment

Cisco Systems, Inc. is a multinational technology conglomerate developing, manufacturing, and selling networking hardware, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services and products. Through its multiple subsidiaries, Cisco is also specializing in Internet-of-Things, domain security, and energy management.

Website: cisco.com – Market Cap.: $188.4 Billion – Stock ticker: CSCO

13. PepsiCo

PepsiCo logoSector: Consumer Defensive – Industry: Non-Alcoholic Beverages

PepsiCo, Inc. is a multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation. Tracing its origins to the creation of Pepsi-Cola in 1898, PepsiCo has become one the largest food and drink company through the acquisition and development of new brands and products. Its portfolio of brands includes Pepsi, Tropicana Products, Quaker Oats Company, and Gatorade.

Website: pepsico.com – Market Cap.: $188.7 Billion – Stock ticker: PEP

12. Adobe

Adobe logoSector: Technology – Industry: Infrastructure Software

Adobe Inc. is a multinational computer software company originally focused on multimedia and creativity software products before expanding to digital marketing software. It is especially famous for its Adobe Flash web software ecosystem, Photoshop image editing software, Acrobat Reader, the Portable Document Format – PDF -, as well as Adobe Creative Suite and its successor Adobe Creative Cloud.

Website: adobe.com – Market Cap.: $219.6 Billion – Stock ticker: ADBE

11. Intel

Intel logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Intel Corporation, commonly known as Intel, is a multinational corporation and technology company, especially involved in the production and sales of microprocessors and semiconductor chips powering personal computers. Intel also diversifies in other technologies, including cloud, Internet of Things, computer memory, and 5G-connectivity.

Website: intel.com – Market Cap.: $225.5 Billion – Stock ticker: INTC

10. Comcast

Comcast logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Entertainment

Comcast Corporation is a telecommunications conglomerate. One of the leaders in the US and the world, Comcast operates in broadcasting and cable television, pay-TV, cable TV, home Internet service, and home telephone service. A producer of films and television programs through its subsidiaries NBCUniversal and Universal Pictures, Comcast is also involved in multiple other industries through subsidiaries, including residential cable with Xfinity, commercial services through Comcast Business, TV channels notably with NBC, Telemundo, MSNBC, CNBC, and Sky.

Website: corporate.comcast.com – Market Cap.: $226.8 Billion – Stock ticker: CMCSA

9. Netflix

Netflix logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Entertainment

Netflix, Inc. is a company providing a video-on-demand service. Primarily operating in subscription-based streaming, Netflix offers a library of films and television programs for customers to choose and watch when they want. Originally selling and renting DVDs, Netflix has turned to online services thanks to the introduction of media streaming. This allowed it to expand internationally from 2010 and foray into the content production industry.

Website: netflix.com – Market Cap.: $235.2 Billion – Stock ticker: NFLX

8. PayPal

PayPal logoSector: Financials – Industry: Credit Services

PayPal Holdings, Inc. is a company operating a worldwide online payment system. Providing an electronic alternative to traditional checks and money orders, Paypal helps online vendors and commercial users by supporting online money transfers in exchange for a fee. PayPal had its Initial Public Offering in 2002 before being acquired by eBay, which later separated from it in 2015.

Website: paypal.com – Market Cap.: $274.5 Billion – Stock ticker: PYPL

7. Nvidia

Nvidia logoSector: Technology – Industry: Semiconductors

Nvidia Corporation is a company developing graphics processing units – GPUs – for the gaming and professional markets, and “system on a chip” units – SoCs – for the mobile computing and automotive market. It operates the GeForce brand of GPUs, Tegra mobile processors, and expanded in gaming with the Shield brand of handled devices, tablets, and Android TV. Nvidia now also produces chips for supercomputers, especially powering artificial intelligence and scientific research applications.

Website: nvidia.com – Market Cap.: $321.6 Billion – Stock ticker: NVDA

6. Facebook

Facebook logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Internet Content & Information

Facebook, Inc. is an online social media and social networking service. Originally limited to students, Facebook has gradually opened its services to anyone above 13 years old, reaching now more than 2 billion across the world. It can be accessed through any device connected to the internet and allows users to customize profiles, post text, photos, and multimedia which is shared with their friends on Facebook. They can also join interest groups, receive messages and notifications, and use various other embedded applications.

Website: investor.fb.com – Market Cap.: $735.8 Billion – Stock ticker: FB

5. Tesla

Tesla logoSector: Consumer Cyclical – Industry: Auto Manufacturers

Tesla, Inc. is an electric vehicle and clean energy company. It produces electric cars, including sedans, sports cars and pick-up trucks, and electric powertrain components and systems, and related services, as well as energy generation and storage systems including batteries, solar roof tiles, and solar panels through its subsidiary SolarCity.

Website: tesla.com – Market Cap.: $752.2 Billion – Stock ticker: TSLA

4. Alphabet

Alphabet logoSector: Communication Services – Industry: Internet Content & Information

Alphabet Inc. is a multinational technology conglomerate, created from the corporate restructuring of Google, which is now its subsidiary together with several other services. The Google search engine, advertising business, and associated services are the largest part of Alphabet’s activities, with other subsidiaries including Calico (biotechnology), Chronicle (cybersecurity), DeepMind (artificial intelligence), GV (venture capital), CapitalG (private equity), X (R&D), Google Fiber (fiber internet services), Jigsaw (tech incubator), Makani (wind turbines), Sidewalk Labs (urban innovation), Verily (life sciences), Waymo (self-driving tech), Wing (drone-based delivery) and Loon (internet provider via stratospheric balloons).

Note that Alphabet is only listed once here but it has two types of stocks, with or without voting rights, listed on the Nasdaq, with tickers GOOG and GOOGL, which usually lead to two different entries in Nasdaq stocks lists.

Website: abc.xyz – Market Cap.: $1,241.7 Billion – Stock ticker: GOOG / GOOGL

3. Amazon

Amazon logoSector: Consumer Cyclical – Industry: Internet Retail

Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational technology company focused on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It started as an online bookstore that later diversified to a wide array of products. Amazon has become the uncontested leader of e-commerce in the US, and after having expanded to many countries, it has also developed further into brick-and-mortar retail with the acquisition of Whole Foods Market, as well as publishing, electronics, cloud computing, video streaming, and production, among other investments.

Website: amazon.com – Market Cap.: $1,608.7 Billion – Stock ticker: AMZN

2. Microsoft

Microsoft logoSector: Technology – Industry: Infrastructure Software

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational technology company developing, manufacturing, licensing, supporting, and selling computer software, most notably the Windows operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. It is also involved in consumer electronics with the Xbox video game consoles, touchscreen personal computers with Microsoft Surface, and related services.

Website: microsoft.com – Market Cap.: $1,749.5 Billion – Stock ticker: MSFT

1. Apple

Apple logoSector: Technology – Industry: Consumer Electronics

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets mobile phones and media devices, computers, notably the iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. The company also conceives and sells a range of related software and services: the iPhone OS (iOS), OS X and watchOS operating systems, iCloud, and Apple Pay. Apple also sells accessories, support offerings, and third-party digital content and applications.

Website: apple.com – Market Cap.: $2,287.8 Billion – Stock ticker: AAPL

Summary: Top 10 companies in the Nasdaq index 2021

To give you a quick review of the largest companies in the Nasdaq Composite index in 2021, here are the top 10 Nasdaq companies by market capitalization as of January 29, 2021.

      1. Apple – $2.287 Trillion
      2. Microsoft – $1.749 Trillion
      3. Amazon – $1.608 Trillion
      4. Alphabet – $1.241 Trillion
      5. Tesla – $752.2 Billion
      6. Facebook – $735.8 Billion
      7. Nvidia – $321.6 Billion
      8. PayPal – $274.5 Billion
      9. Netflix – $235.2 Billion
      10. Comcast – $226.8 Billion

You will also find the top 10 in this synthesizing image that also regroups the information of each Nasdaq company with its industry. Remark that you can use this image to embed it on your website and other digital properties using the embed code below.

Top 10 companies in the Nasdaq index 2021

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Here are the 30 largest US companies in the Nasdaq. Do you think they are worth their market capitalization? Are their stocks a good investment right now? Do they have too much economic power… and maybe political power too?

Leave your comments below!

4 Replies to “Top 30 US companies in the NASDAQ index 2021”

  1. Cool to see ADP here. I used their payroll solutions for a little while, then switched to another option. Still, they had a good product.

    1. Hi,
      Well, since Nasdaq companies are here ranked by market capitalization, and VMWare only has a market cap. of 60.73B as of Feb 20, 2021, it’s not quite enough to make it to the top 30. The last one in the Top 30 has an $80+ Billion market cap.

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