Biggest companies in South East 2026
- Companies
- 9,675
- Total revenue
- £948.55bn
- Total jobs
- 3,198,136
Biggest companies in South East by revenue 2026
Top filers by latest reported turnover
| # | Company | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | £69.92bn | 339,140 |
| 02 | TESCO STORES LIMITED Principal UK supermarket operating subsidiary | £50.84bn | 249,663 |
| 03 | VODAFONE GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY group accounts Multinational telecommunications group | £37.46bn | 92,834 |
| 04 | CENTRICA PLC registered office Multinational energy and services group | £24.64bn | 20,290 |
| 05 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED group accounts UK automotive importer and distributor | £12.84bn | 1,002 |
| 06 | ESSO PETROLEUM COMPANY,LIMITED UK petroleum refining and distribution | £10.59bn | 1,411 |
| 07 | EASYJET AIRLINE COMPANY LIMITED Low-cost passenger airline | £9.44bn | 15,267 |
| 08 | CARNIVAL UK LTD. Cruise line operator | £7.48bn | — |
| 09 | BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED registered office Aerospace and defence operating subsidiary | £7.10bn | 16,609 |
| 10 | MARTIN-BROWER UK LTD Supply chain and logistics provider | £6.85bn | 4,591 |
| 11 | TUI UK LIMITED Tour operator and travel agency | £6.34bn | 2,870 |
| 12 | VODAFONE LIMITED British mobile network operator | £5.85bn | 9,199 |
Biggest employers in South East
Top filers by latest reported headcount
| # | Company | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | 339,140 |
| 02 | TESCO STORES LIMITED Principal UK supermarket operating subsidiary | 249,663 |
| 03 | VODAFONE GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY group accounts Multinational telecommunications group | 92,834 |
| 04 | RENTOKIL INITIAL PLC Listed pest control and hygiene group | 65,632 |
| 05 | SPECSAVERS OPTICAL SUPERSTORES LIMITED UK optical retail chain operator | 46,283 |
| 06 | J D WETHERSPOON PLC Listed pub and hotel operator | 42,081 |
| 07 | WHITBREAD GROUP PLC group accounts Hotel and restaurant operator | 34,700 |
| 08 | DHL SERVICES LIMITED Logistics group management subsidiary | 34,691 |
| 09 | MASH HOLDINGS TOPCO LIMITED group accounts Holding company for Mike Ashley | 31,022 |
| 10 | NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED registered office State-owned NHS staffing agency | 27,931 |
| 11 | TJX UK Off-price retail operator | 25,463 |
| 12 | OCADO GROUP PLC group accounts Grocery technology and logistics group | 21,426 |
Most profitable companies in South East 2026
Top operating filers by latest pre-tax profit
| # | Company | Pre-tax profit | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | VODAFONE GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY group accounts Multinational telecommunications group | £18.99bn | 92,834 |
| 02 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | £2.70bn | 339,140 |
| 03 | CENTRICA PLC registered office Multinational energy and services group | £2.60bn | 20,290 |
| 04 | TESCO STORES LIMITED Principal UK supermarket operating subsidiary | £1.66bn | 249,663 |
| 05 | TELEFONICA UK LIMITED Mobile telecommunications network operator | £1.40bn | 5,500 |
| 06 | ROKOS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLP Macro hedge fund manager | £940M | 23 |
| 07 | MICROSOFT LIMITED UK technology and software subsidiary | £890M | 5,023 |
| 08 | BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED registered office Aerospace and defence operating subsidiary | £813M | 16,609 |
| 09 | MICRO FOCUS IP DEVELOPMENT LIMITED registered office Software intellectual property subsidiary | £756M | 61 |
| 10 | ABBOTT DIABETES CARE LIMITED Manufacturer of diabetes care devices | £692M | 847 |
| 11 | PFIZER LIMITED UK pharmaceutical subsidiary | £554M | 1,243 |
| 12 | SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC registered office Electricity distribution network operator | £545M | 2,979 |
Best-paid boards in South East
Highest directors' remuneration disclosed
| # | Company | Directors' pay | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | VISTRY GROUP PLC group accounts registered office Listed UK housebuilder | £123M | 4,569 |
| 02 | MCLAREN RACING LIMITED Formula One motor racing team | £37M | 1,283 |
| 03 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | £17M | 339,140 |
| 04 | ARCUS INVESTMENT LIMITED Investment management firm | £14M | 15 |
| 05 | IMPELLAM GROUP LIMITED group accounts registered office Specialist staffing and managed services | £13M | 1,570 |
| 06 | GENUS PLC Listed animal genetics business | £12M | 3,307 |
| 07 | VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS LIMITED British long-haul passenger airline | £11M | 8,036 |
| 08 | OXFORD ECONOMICS GROUP LIMITED group accounts Economic forecasting and advisory group | £10M | 658 |
| 09 | VIRGIN MEDIA LIMITED Broadband and telecommunications provider | £10M | 10,434 |
| 10 | COLLEYCARE LIMITED Care home group subsidiary | £9M | 1,238 |
| 11 | RED BULL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED Formula One car manufacturer | £9M | 969 |
| 12 | SIX CONTINENTS LIMITED InterContinental Hotels Group subsidiary | £9M | 399 |
Directors' remuneration as disclosed in filed accounts. Group filings may report key-management-personnel compensation, which is broader than the board; LLP members' profit share is excluded. Treat as "highest disclosed", not a like-for-like board ranking.
Companies ranked from their latest filed accounts at registered offices in South East. Registered office is where a company files, which is not always where it trades — see the badges. Implausible outliers are excluded. Snapshot from Companies House.