Wesfarmers has jumped back into the number one position in the IBISWorld list of ‘Australia’s Top 1000 Companies’ for 2015, overtaking Woolworths on the back of the robust performance of Coles, which has gained market share in the supermarkets and grocery stores industry.
Bunnings’ vastly superior results compared with its significantly smaller competitor, Masters, has also assisted Wesfarmers, while Woolworths has recently announced that Masters will be sold off or closed down in the coming months.
The big four banks have all held on to positions in the list’s top 10 for 2015, despite the current low-interest-rate environment putting pressure on growth.
“The big four banks remain the largest four companies in the country by assets, holding more than $3.5 trillion between them,” IBISWorld Senior Industry Analyst Jem Anning said. “Even though growth is not significant in this sector in the current climate, their collective revenue of almost $165 billion puts them firmly near the top of the list.”
Beyond supermarkets and banks, there are no surprises in the year’s top 10, which is rounded out by Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Telstra and Caltex Australia.
“BHP Billiton has held the number one spot on the list since 2010,” Ms Anning said. “However, the South 32 demerger, which was completed in May 2015, has caused BHP to fall to fourth position.”
The year’s biggest mover is Bindaree Beef, based at Inverell in northern NSW, which jumped 338 spots from its position on the list for 2014 to come in at number 535.
IBISWorld attributes the company’s strong increase to a marked rise in demand for Australian beef in export markets, particularly in Asia where incomes have been growing strongly over the past three years.
“This strong demand has driven up beef prices, and Bindaree Beef has benefited from increasing sales both in volume and value terms,” Ms Anning said.
Top ten companies by revenue
| New Position | Previous Position | Change | Company (Balance Date) | Total Revenue ($m) | Change (%) |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | Wesfarmers (6/15) | 62,777.00 | 3.9 |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | Woolworths (6/15) | 61,149.40 | -0.1 |
| 3 | 4 | 1 | Rio Tinto (12/14) | 60,276.61 | -6.9 |
| 4 | 1 | -3 | BHP Billiton (6/15) | 59,342.24 | -21.3 |
| 5 | 6 | 1 | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (6/15) | 45,310.00 | 2.3 |
| 6 | 5 | -1 | NAB (9/15) | 43,650.00 | -2.8 |
| 7 | 7 | 0 | Westpac Banking Corporation (9/15) | 39,670.00 | 2.7 |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | ANZ Banking Group (9/15) | 36,356.00 | 3.1 |
| 9 | 9 | 0 | Telstra (6/15) | 26,764.00 | 1.2 |
| 10 | 10 | 0 | Caltex Australia (12/14) | 24,240.16 | -2.0 |