Skip to content
General

Jollibee, Puregold, Robinsons retail make it to Forbes ‘Fab 50’

By Maria SantosPhilippines
1 min read
jollibee
jollibee
In this article (5)

Three Filipino companies made it into Forbes’ list of 50 best-performing listed firms in Asia this year.

Jollibee Foods Corp., Puregold Price Club, Inc. and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. were included among “Asia’s Fab 50 Companies,” compiled by Forbes Magazine.

Companies are selected based on their record of revenues, operating earnings and return on capital over the last five years.

“These 50 companies have solid financial track records, coupled with great management and entrepreneurial skill,” Forbes said in its website.

China dominated the list with 21 companies, including frontrunner Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. The e-commerce giant has a market value of $242.5 billion.

With three representatives on the list, the Philippines beat out countries like Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, with only one company each.

The Philippine firms, however, still had considerably lower market value than their regional counterparts.

Fast food company Jollibee was the largest among the three Philippine companies, with a market value of $5.9 billion. Other than the iconic Jollibee brand, it also owns Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, and Burger King in the country.

Supermarket operator Puregold followed with $2.6 billion. The Lucio Co firm runs the Puregold and S&R Membership Shopping chains.

Lastly, Robinsons Retail notched $2.5 billion. The company handles Robinsons’ supermarkets and department stores, as well as Ministop convenience stores, South Star Drug pharmacies, among others.

Meanwhile, property developer SM Prime Holdings, Inc. was cited as one of “Asia’s Stars in the Making.”

Forbes listed a dozen Asian companies “waiting in the wings” — just narrowly missing out on the Fab 50 for the year. These “rising stars” are considered “potential candidates in the coming years,” Forbes said in its website.

The Sy-led SM Prime operates SM’s portfolio of shopping malls, residential properties, office buildings, and hotels.

Questions & Answers

Q.

What criteria did Forbes use to select the companies for its 'Fab 50' list?

A.

Companies were chosen based on their performance over the last five years. Forbes looked at their records for revenues, operating earnings, and return on capital, alongside management and entrepreneurial skill.

Q.

Which country had the most companies on Forbes' 'Fab 50' list this year?

A.

China dominated the list with 21 companies, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which was highlighted as the frontrunner. This was significantly more than any other nation.

Q.

Despite having three companies on the list, how did the Philippine firms compare to their regional counterparts?

A.

The Philippine firms, despite their inclusion, had considerably lower market values than most of their regional counterparts. Jollibee, the largest of the three, had a market value of $5.9 billion.

Q.

Which company was identified as an 'Asia's Star in the Making' and why was it not on the 'Fab 50' list?

A.

Property developer SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Was cited as an 'Asia's Star in the Making.' It narrowly missed out on the 'Fab 50' for the year, but Forbes considers it a potential candidate for future lists.

Reader pulse

Is Forbes' 'Fab 50' a good indicator of future retail success?

18,474 votes so far

Weekly Briefing

Asia's retail intelligence, in your inbox

Tuesday, Thursday and a Saturday Weekly Wrap: the retail stories, numbers and moves that mattered across Asia. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

  • Top industry moves and market shifts
  • Weekly data-driven analysis from across Asia
  • Tuesday, Thursday and the Saturday Weekly Wrap

Read by retail operators, investors and brand teams across Asia.

Protected by a quick human check. No spam, ever. Unsubscribe in one click.

SecureGDPR ready