How Many of the Largest Companies Do You Own -- and Should You Own More or Fewer?

One noteworthy event in 2018 was that the tech company Apple became the first to reach a trillion-dollar market capitalization.

Today, there are more than a dozen such companies. Here are the recent top 10 largest companies by market cap. See how many of them you own.

Data source: companiesmarketcap.com, as of Aug. 7, 2026.

Image source: Getty Images.

If you own any stocks or funds, there's a good chance you own at least a few of the sizable businesses above. Nearly all of the above companies, for example, are present in S&P 500 index funds, such as the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO). Most are also in growth-oriented mutual funds or exchange-traded funds.

Should you own the stock of large companies?

Looking at the table above, it's hard to argue that you shouldn't invest in large companies. After all, the ones with valuations of $3 trillion, $4 trillion, or $5 trillion were still large some years ago, with valuations of $1 trillion or $2 trillion. These massive companies have these massive valuations because they have executed their plans well and have grown their operations at a good clip.

There are pros and cons to both large- and small-company investing, though, of course. For example:

• Large companies tend to be more established and stable, with many of them considered "blue chip stocks." (They can drop sharply on occasion, though -- and this is especially true when there's a major market pullback and overvalued stocks fall hard.)
• Large companies are more likely to pay dividends, and dividends can be powerful portfolio boosters.
• Small-cap companies have the potential to grow faster than their larger counterparts, but they're often younger, sometimes not yet profitable, and often more vulnerable to economic volatility. They're generally riskier propositions than large companies.

There tend to be economic cycles when large companies outperform small ones, and vice versa. Some investors invest accordingly, but it's generally difficult to time the market.

What to do?

So what should you do? Consider owning both big and small companies. Remember that there are lots of "mid-cap," medium-sized companies, too, which can, arguably, offer the best of both worlds.

One way to own most of the U.S. stock market is through a broad index fund such as the Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI). If you want to go broader still, consider the Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VT). Either way, you'll be invested in small, medium-sized, and large companies, with plenty of diversification by industry.

Selena Maranjian has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.