Financial Times

This is the 19th annual ranking of the FT Global 500, providing an annual snapshot of the world’s largest companies. The total market capitalisation of the Global 500 companies has increased 5.5 percent from $30,696bn to $32,387bn.The Global 500 ranking shows how corporate fortunes have changed in the past year, highlighting relative performance of countries and sectors.The companies are ranked by market capitalisation — the greater the stock market value of a company, the higher its ranking. Market capitalisation is the share price on March 31, 2015, multiplied by the number of shares issued. The figures were converted into a common currency to allow comparison so all the figures in the main FT 500 ranking are presented in terms of the dollar at that date.All companies where the free float — the proportion of shares in market circulation — is at least 15 percent have been included. Companies are then valued on the lines of shares that are quoted on the stock market. The full value of a listed stock is included even if part of it is tightly held. Unlisted lines of stock are excluded. Investment companies are not included.

Although the headline ranking figures show changes in the data year to year, the pattern of clustering among the schools is equally significant. Some 215 points separate the top programme, University of St Gallen, from the school ranked number 80. The top 12 participants, from University of St Gallen to Esade Business School, form the top group of Masters in Management providers. The second group, headed by WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), spans schools ranked 13th to 41st. Differences between schools are small within this group. The 26 schools within the third group headed by Kozminski University are similarly close together. The remaining 13 schools headed by Corvinus University of Budapest make up the fourth group.