As part of the Reserve Bank of India's libera­lisation of the Indian Banking Industry in 1994, HDFC (The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited) was amongst the first to receive an approval to set up a bank in the private sector.

HDFC Bank has 1,412 branches and over 3,295 ATMs, in 528 cities in India, and all branches of the bank are linked on an online real-time basis.

Financial information

• HDFC Bank Annual Report 2008/2009

Quotes

Quotes graph is taken from Yahoo Finance.

HDFC: Money to India

HDFC Bank is often used for remittance of money to India. You can use following products:

• Quickremit – online from US, UK, Singapore and Europe
• Indialink
• Cheque Lockbox
• Telegraphic / Wire transfer
• Demand Drafts, Cheques

For more information on remittances go to HDFC Bank official website.

Netbanking: HDFC Internet banking

Login to HDFC Netbanking.

Reliance has more than 3 million shareholders! It is one of the world's most widely held stock. 1 out of every 4 investors in India is a Reliance shareholder.

Reliance Industries stock is one of the most important components of Dow Jones India Titans 30 index and BSE Sensex 30.

• Volkswagen
• Audi
• SEAT
• Škoda Auto
• Lamborghini
• Bentley
• Bugatti

Porsche Automobil Holding SE since 2009 holds a majority of voting rights within the Volkswagen company.

It is headquartered in France with the main head office in the business district of La Défense west of Paris.

The three main divisions are:

• Retail Banking & Specialized Financial Services (particularly in France and Eastern Europe)
• Corporate and Investment Banking (Derivatives, Structured Finance and Euro Capital Markets)
• Global Investment Management & Services

McDonald's Cor­poration is the largest chain of fast food restaurants in the world, serving nearly 47 million customers daily.

McDonald's pri­marily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, french fries, milkshakes, and desserts. More recently, it has begun to offer salads, wraps, fruit and other kinds of healthy-like food.

Many McDonald's res­taurants have included a playground for children and advertising geared toward children, and some have been redesigned in a more ‚natural‘ style, with a particular emphasis on comfort: introducing lounge areas and fireplaces, and eliminating hard plastic chairs and tables.

Go check the history of the company.

Business relations

In addition to its signature restaurant chain, McDonald’s Cor­poration held a minority interest in Pret A Manger, a UK-based sandwich retailer, until 2008, and owned the Chipotle Mexican Grill until 2006 and the restaurant chain Boston Market until 2007.

Each McDonald's res­taurant is operated by a franchisee, an affiliate, or the corporation itself. The corporations' revenues come from the rent, royalties and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. McDonald's revenues grew 27% over the three years ending in 2007 to $22.8 billion, and 9% growth in operating income to $3.9 billion.

McDonald's menu

McDonald's offers wide variety of high-quality, great tasting menu options. 

You can choose well-balanced and delicious meals from McDonald's menu by mixing and matching choices each and every time you visit. 

McDonald's nu­trition facts

McDonald’s serves a range of high-quality foods that can fit into a balanced diet. McDonald's believes that accurate and accessible nutrition information help guests make informed menu choices. 

Go check Nutrition facts table

Ronald McDonald

Do you know who is Ronald? He is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and The Fry Kids.

Read about Ronald on Wikipedia.

Reports and documents

• 2008 Financial Highlights
• 2007 Annual Report

Official website

• Investing in McDonald's
• Information for Investors (2008)
• Sign up for e-notification for shareholders

Walmart is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton. Since 1969 it is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500. Walmart is the largest private employer in the world and the fourth largest utility or commercial employer, trailing the British National Health Service, and the Indian Railways.

Wal-Mart is the largest grocery retailer in the United States, with an estimated 20% of the retail grocery and consumables business.

It operates in Mexico as Walmex, in the UK as ASDA, and in Japan as Seiyu. It has wholly owned operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Wal-Mart's investments outside North America have had mixed results: its operations in South America and China are highly successful, while it was forced to pull out of Germany and South Korea when ventures there were unsuccessful.

WalMart took a big step into Europe buying Britain's third-largest food Retailer ASDA Group PLC in 1999.

• Read more on Wikipedia

Reports and Documents

• 2008 Annual Report
• 2007 Annual Report (PDF)
• For your interest: 1972 Annual Report

Official website

• Investor Information
• E-commerce website
• Facts and news on the corporate website
• Annual Reports

Enlarge the map

It is both the world's largest banking group and the world's largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine (in 2008).

The group was founded from The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the acronym of which led to the current name.

HSBC is Europe's biggest bank and has an enormous operational base in Asia and significant lending, investment, and insurance activities around the world.

It is one of the largest fixed-line and mobile telecommunications companies in the world.

Until the liberalisation of the telecom market in 1997, Telefónica was the only telephone operator in Spain and still holds a dominant position (over 75% in 2004). The Spanish government has privatised its interest in the company.

Reports and Documents

• Website for Telefonica investors
• 2007 Annual Report
• January to September 2008 Report
• Analysts' Consensus

Coca-Cola offers nearly 400 brands in over 200 countries and servers 1.5 billion servings each day.

The company operates a franchised distribution system: The Coca-Cola Company only produces syrup concentrate which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold an exclusive territory.

Reports & Documents

→ 2007 Annual Review

→ Financial Statements

→ SEC Fillings

Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and international crude oil and product trading.

Majors

It is considered to be one of the six „Supermajor“ oil companies in the world. These are non state-owned energy companies:

• ExxonMobil (USA, Market capitialisation: USD 464.38 Billion (2008), employees: 106,100 (2007))
• Royal Dutch Shell (UK/Netherlands, Market capitalisation: USD 256.03 Billion (2008), employees: 104,000 (2008))
• BP (British Petroleum, UK, Market capitalisation: USD 204.78 billion (2008), employees: 96,200 (2008))
• Chevron Corporation (USA, Market capitalisation: USD 196.68 billion (2007), employees: 60,000 (2008))
• ConocoPhillips (USA, Market capitalisation: USD 138.19 Billion (2008), employees: 32,600 (2008))
• Total S.A. (France, Market capitalisation: USD 181.33 Billion (2008), employees: 96,442 (2008))