subject: Australia's Top Companies [print this page] The main engine of the economic growth and development of Australia remains its companies. These private corporations provide a significant contribution because of the money it puts into the economy, the number of employees it has and the taxes it pays. The following are the top ten companies of Australia as of 2011.
The National Australia Bank. This Down Under's Number one financial institution. The National Australia Bank leads all banks in the country in terms of capitalization and number of retail customers. The bank also has branches in ten other countries with over eight million clients and nearly two million portfolio clients. It is also the most encompassing of all banks in the country, with over 1,800 branches and service centers throughout the country and New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States.
The BHP Billiton. This oil and mining giant is world's largest corporation in terms of revenue generation and market investments. The company was formed after Broken Hill Property Co. Ltd merged with Billiton PLC, a British-Dutch company. One of its biggest consumers is China and the company supplies raw materials together with expansion of its interests in mining of diamond, natural gas, coal, iron, nickel, gold, aluminum, bauxite and copper not only in that South Asian country but in many other locations throughout the world.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia. This financial institution has interests in many countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. It also has affiliate branches as well as subsidiary finance companies in many areas of Asia. This Australia's second largest bank and provides financial services such as retail, institutional and business banking, superannuation, investment portfolios, brokerage financing and insurance underwriting.
The Rio Tinto Group. This is actually a British-Australian conglomerate that has mining operations in Huelva, Spain. The group also has mining operations that produce aluminum, uranium, iron, diamonds and coal for many Australian mining companies, both large and small in the country's industrial sector.
The Australian and New Zealand Banking Group. This banking group has major operations in retail and commercial banking in both Australia and New Zealand with other operation in twenty-five other countries. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index has named this bank as one of the most sustainable banks in the world, making it one of the top finance companies in both Australia and the world.
The Westpac Banking Corp. This is one of the top four banks in the Australian financial sector. It has a client base of ten million customers serviced through 1,200 branches and 2,800 ATMS when it merged with St. George Bank. The bank is also the second largest provider in home lending finance in the country together with fund portfolio administration. Dow Jones Sustainability Index has also bestowed the honor of being one of the most sustainable banks in the world.
