Seven Philippine Companies Shine on Forbes' Best Under $1 Billion List

MANILA, Philippines — Seven publicly listed Philippine firms have entered Forbes’ list of best Asian companies with sales of under $1 billion, showcasing their capability to sustain growth in a pressured environment. In this year’s edition of Forbes Asia’s Best Under a Billion, seven listed Philippine companies joined a group of 200 small and mid-sized businesses that delivered notable financial performances in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges. Forbes recognized Asia United Bank Corp. (AUB) and Pryce Corp. for putting up sales of $505 million and $370 million, respectively, the highest on the list from the Philippines. They are joined by Apex Mining Co. Inc. with $357 million, A. Soriano Corp. with $256 million and Vivant Corp. with $177 million. Completing the list for the Philippines are two educational institutions, namely, Far Eastern University (FEU) with $100 million and STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. with $97 million. Both Pryce and STI made it to the Best Under A Billion list for the first time. The rest landed at least once in the past, such as A. Soriano and Apex in 2025; FEU in 2024; and AUB and Vivant in 2020. Forbes said it has selected the Best Under A Billion firms from more than 19,000 entities across 17 economies in Asia-Pacific. The list, although unranked, features the strongest expanders financially, with Forbes measuring their growth by debt, sales and earnings-per-share profiles. Further, the metrics were evaluated based on both financial reports over the past three years and the strongest one- and five-year average returns. Regionally, Forbes observed a shift toward businesses that supply to the global boom on artificial intelligence (AI). One in four companies on the list are involved in the manufacture of electronic and semiconductor components and software development, which are crucial to AI growth. By country, China accounted for the largest number of entrants on the list with 28, followed by India’s 27 and Malaysia’s 19. Forbes also said 60 companies this year are returning from 2025. To qualify for the Best Under A Billion list, a company must be a listed firm with sales of above $10 million but less than $1 billion. The Best Under A Billion has seen some of its companies graduate to become global giants since its creation in 2002, such as the Philippines’ Jollibee Foods Corp. and Malaysia’s AirAsia Group. Source: Philstar Business