BBC Global 30, calculated by FTSE

The BBC Global 30 combines Europe, Asia and North America - the three power centres of the global economy - in a single index.

BBC GLOBAL 30 INDUSTRIES Oil and gas Basic materials Industrials Consumer goods Health care Consumer services Telecommunications Utilities Financials Technology

Our index is designed to capture the economic mood of the industrialised world: In all three regions we have divided the economy into 10 different industries; from each industry we have selected the largest listed company by stock market value.

This gives us 30 companies from a wide range of industries and countries, and makes the BBC Global 30 a useful tool to see where the world's most important companies and thus the global economy are heading.

And it tracks stock markets throughout the day - from market open in Japan to the close of trading on Wall Street.

The index will be calculated - in pound sterling - for the BBC by FTSE, who will revise it only once every year, in June, based on strict rules.

As the index does not shed the losers every quarter, it will provide its followers with a more long-term view of economic trends.

The index constituents are (last revised in March 2013):

Europe

GDF Suez (France)

HSBC Holdings (UK)

Inditex (Spain)

Nestle (Switzerland)

Novartis (Switzerland)

BASF (Germany)

Royal Dutch Shell (UK)

SAP (Germany)

Siemens (Germany)

Vodafone Group (UK)

Asia

BHP Billiton (Australia)

Canon (Japan)

CLP Holdings (Hong Kong)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Fanuc (Japan)

NTT Docomo (Japan)

Takeda Pharmaceutical (Japan)

Toyota Motor (Japan)

Wesfarmers (Australia)

Woodside Petroleum (Australia)

Americas