Dollar Value in US$
27. Prosus: Netherlands
Key stat: US$8bn (FJ$17.26bn)
— the cash and debt available for Naspers’ international investment vehicle to make deals.
While it has long been the good fortune of the South African internet group Naspers to own 31 per cent of China’s Tencent, exposure to the Fortnite-to-WeChat giant paid off again this year.
It has led to a surge of one-third in the share price of Prosus, the company’s European investment vehicle that is waving the cheque book for deals in the post-coronavirus world.
Prosus, which houses the Tencent stake and other assets to make up Europe’s biggest consumer internet group, already has globespanning businesses in sectors that could benefit if the pandemic does inspire a greater digital shift, such as food delivery and online education. Joseph Cotterill in Johannesburg
28. ServiceNow: USA
Key stat: 80 per cent of revenue comes from repeat subscriptions paid by large companies.
As a platform for automating back-room processes, ServiceNow stands to benefit from the greater pressure many companies feel to boost worker productivity and improve the overall efficiency of their operations.
It also has a stable revenue base and guaranteed pipeline of new business in the years ahead, thanks to its use by big companies that pay regular subscriptions, and which are mostly at an early stage in applying the technology across their organisations. Richard Waters
29. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Key stat: Shares have risen more than one-third since February. Regeneron is working on repurposing an existing drug and developing a new antibody cocktail for COVID-19.
Studies using Kevzara, an antiinflammatory, to target the overactive immune response of some patients produced disappointing early results but the trial is being changed to focus only on patients with the most severe disease. Hannah Kuchler
30. Alibaba Health Information: China
Key stat: Shares are up 129 per cent so far in 2020.
A Hong Kong-listed company controlled by Jack Ma, it focuses on pharmaceutical ecommerce and operates China’s drug product identification, authentication and tracking system.
The company benefited from providing internet medical services during the Covid-19 emergency. Thomas Hale in Shanghai
31. Samsung Biologics: South Korea Key stat: 150 per cent increase in the share price in 12 months. A subsidiary of Samsung that focuses on manufacturing biopharmaceuticals on a contract basis, the company gained from striking deals this year with Vir Biotechnology — to produce COVID-19-neutralising antibody products — and GSK, to expand its manufacturing capacity. Donato Paolo Mancini
32. Novo Nordisk: Denmark
Key stat: Net profit in the first quarter was $1.74bn (FJ$ 3.75bn).
One of the world’s largest insulin producers, Novo Nordisk benefited from a recent surge in demand across the pharmaceuticals sector, as patients and healthcare providers stockpiled drugs. Donato Paolo Mancini
33. Salesforce: USA
Key stat: Sliced US$1bn (FJ$2.15bn) off its annual revenue guidance due to the difficulty of closing sales in the pandemic.
As the pioneer of cloud-based software applications for businesses, Salesforce could be lifted by the greater urgency for companies to digitise their operations.
The crisis has dented its growth in the short term, but investors are betting that “digital transformation” will become an even bigger imperative for companies across the economy, with Salesforce among the winners. Richard Waters
34. Adyen: Netherlands
Key stat: Volume of payments processed increased 38 per cent year on year in the first quarter.
A surge in online shopping helped prop up volumes at Adyen, which processes payments for companies such as Microsoft and eBay. Growth was dented by weakness in the travel sector and falling in-store sales, but Adyen expects to benefit in the long term as the crisis accelerates a shift from cash in favour of contactless payments. Nicholas Megaw in London
35. Eli Lilly: USA
Key stat: US$250m (FJ$539.37m) extra sales in the first quarter, attributed to Covid-19 stockpiling.
Eli Lilly started the first study of an antibody treatment for COVID-19 this month.
The medicine is derived from the antibody response from one of the first US patients to contract the disease.
Working with the Canadian company AbCellera, it found the most effective antibodies and reproduced them. Hannah Kuchler
36. Moderna: USA
Key stat: 30,000 participants are expected to enrol in the phase-three trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate.Moderna was the first US company to get a potential coronavirus vaccine to human trial.
Just 42 days after it received the genetic sequence of the virus, Moderna had a vaccine in vials ready to test. Its messenger RNA technology allows it to be super speedy — but no vaccine using it has ever been approved by a regulator. Hannah Kuchler
37. Mercado Libre: USA
Key stat: The number of items sold on Mercado Libre’s ecommerce platform surged 76 per cent in April.
For Mercado Libre, being in the right place at the right time has proved critical. Its ecommerce platform has ballooned in popularity over the past five years, and by facilitating electronic payments during the pandemic lockdown, its sales have surged further.
Latin America has relatively low ecommerce penetration — but Mercado Libre is already the clear leader in this sector. Benedict Mander in Buenos Aires
44 per cent revenue growth in the first quarter of 2020. Dexcom makes a type of blood sugar monitor that continuously checks patients’ glucose levels — a product that may have pushed the stock higher as the coronavirus crisis has increased demand for healthcare solutions for diabetics, who are an at-risk category for COVID-19. Donato Paolo Mancini
39. NetEase: China
Key stat: Demand for its online games during coronavirus-led lockdown boosted first-quarter revenue by 18 per cent year on year.
The Chinese gaming group, known for its mobile title Fantasy Westward Journey, benefited from millions of its users being stuck at home seeking entertainment due to the outbreak of coronavirus in China.
The company, which receives four-fifths of its revenue from video games, used the momentum to pursue a US$2.7bn (FJ$5.82bn) secondary listing on the Hong Kong Exchange in June. Mercedes Ruehl in Singapore
40. Mindray: China
Key stat: Shares in the medical devices maker are up 53 per cent this year.
Shenzhen-listed Mindray designs and manufactures advanced medical equipment and accessories for human and veterinary use, selling its products in China and overseas.
Founded in 1991, it focuses on patient monitoring and life support, in-vitro diagnostic and imaging products.
Mindray has exported nearly 100,000 medical devices, including ventilators, during the coronavirus pandemic. Thomas Hale.