BP vs General Motors: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
BP reported $189.3B of revenue in FY2025 and $55M of net income. General Motors reported $185B of revenue in FY2025 and $2.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
BP
- Latest revenue
- $189.3B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $55M
- Net margin
- 0.0%
- Revenue growth
- -5.1% a year, FY2023–FY2025
General Motors
- Latest revenue
- $185B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $2.7B
- Net margin
- 1.5%
- Revenue growth
- +2.4% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
BP
BP's 2025 revenue was $189.3 billion, nearly flat on 2024's $189.2 billion and below 2023's $210.1 billion. Underlying replacement-cost profit, the measure BP and analysts use to strip out inventory effects and one-off items, fell to $7.5 billion from $8.9 billion in 2024 as oil prices weakened, and profit attributable to shareholders was just $55 million after fourth-quarter charges. Operating cash flow was $24.5 billion and net debt ended the year at $22.2 billion. In February 2026 the board suspended buybacks so surplus cash could go to the balance sheet. Higher oil and gas prices linked to the conflict involving Iran, plus strong trading, lifted underlying replacement-cost profit to $3.2 billion in Q1 2026 and $5.7 billion in Q2 2026. With the Q2 results BP raised its quarterly dividend 4% to 8.66 cents per share and guided to $13.5-14 billion of capital spending for 2026.
General Motors
GM's finances are funded by internal-combustion trucks and SUVs. In 2025 it generated $185.0 billion of revenue, $12.7 billion of EBIT-adjusted, and $10.6 billion of adjusted automotive free cash flow, but EV write-downs cut net income attributable to stockholders 55% to $2.7 billion. Q1 2026 revenue was $43.6 billion with $2.6 billion of net income; Q2 2026 revenue was $48.0 billion with $1.3 billion of net income, $3.9 billion of EBIT-adjusted, and North America margins back inside GM's 8-10% target. GM returns large amounts of cash to shareholders and approved a new $6.0 billion buyback alongside a 20% higher quarterly dividend in January 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
BP
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $189.3B | $55M | 0.0% | +0.1% | Source |
| FY2024 | $189.2B | $381M | 0.2% | -10.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $210.1B | $15.2B | 7.3% | — | Source |
General Motors
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $185B | $2.7B | 1.5% | -1.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $187.4B | $6B | 3.2% | +9.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | $171.8B | $10.1B | 5.9% | +9.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $156.7B | $9.9B | 6.3% | +23.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $127B | $10B | 7.9% | +3.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $122.5B | $6.4B | 5.2% | -10.7% | Source |
| FY2019 | $137.2B | $6.7B | 4.9% | -6.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $147B | $8B | 5.4% | +1.0% | Source |
| FY2017 | $145.6B | -$3.9B | -2.7% | -2.4% | Source |
| FY2016 | $149.2B | $9.4B | 6.3% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
BP
- Upstream oil and gas production
Not formally reported
Sales of crude oil, natural gas and LNG from BP-operated and partner fields in the Gulf of America, North Sea, Brazil, Middle East, Azerbaijan, Trinidad, Egypt and US onshore basins. Reported as the Upstream segment from July 1, 2026.
- Refining and fuels marketing
Not formally reported
Refined products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel sold wholesale and through about 21,000 BP, Amoco, ARCO and Aral retail sites. This is where most of BP's $189.3B of 2025 sales revenue is booked, because it includes resold crude and products.
- Convenience, lubricants and EV charging
Not formally reported
Higher-margin non-fuel income from convenience stores (ampm, Thorntons, TravelCenters of America, M&S Food in the UK), Castrol lubricants (BP's share falls to 35% once the Stonepeak sale closes) and bp pulse charging.
- Supply, trading and shipping
Not formally reported
Physical and financial trading of crude, products, gas, LNG and power that optimises BP's own flows and earns trading margins; strong trading was a major driver of the $5.7B Q2 2026 underlying profit.
- Low-carbon energy
Not formally reported
Smaller revenue from renewable natural gas (Archaea Energy), biofuels, and BP's 50% share of offshore wind joint venture JERA Nex bp.
General Motors
- North America Vehicle Sales
Largest profit pool
Revenue comes from wholesale sales of Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick vehicles, with trucks and large SUVs driving a disproportionate share of profit.
- GM Financial
Captive finance
Revenue comes from retail loans, leases, dealer floorplan financing, commercial lending, and related finance products that support GM vehicle sales.
- International Vehicle Sales
International operations
Revenue comes from vehicle sales and operations outside North America, including South America and select global markets.
- China Joint Ventures
Equity-method exposure
GM participates in China through joint ventures, making performance visible through equity income rather than fully consolidated vehicle revenue.
- Software, Services, and Parts
Recurring and aftermarket
Revenue comes from OnStar, Super Cruise, connected services, parts, accessories, fleet services, and other software-enabled vehicle products.
Business model and strategy
BP
How it makes money
BP earns money at each stage of the oil and gas chain. Upstream, it finds and produces crude oil and natural gas in the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), the North Sea, Brazil, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Oman, Trinidad, Egypt and US onshore basins; output averaged 2.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in Q1 2026 and 2.2 million in Q2 2026.
Growth strategy
BP's current strategy dates from its February 2025 reset, which raised upstream oil and gas investment to about $10 billion a year, cut planned spending on transition businesses to $1.5-2 billion a year, and set targets of $20 billion of divestments and $14-18 billion of net debt by 2027.
Competitive advantage
BP's edge rests on three things that are hard to copy. The first is deepwater know-how and infrastructure, including five operated production hubs in the Gulf of America and a growing position offshore Brazil. The second is one of the industry's largest supply, trading and shipping businesses, which turned volatile oil and gas prices into profit in Q2 2026.
General Motors
How it makes money
GM makes money mainly by building and wholesaling vehicles to its dealer network, then earning a second layer of profit through GM Financial, its captive lender. GM North America (GMNA) is the profit engine: full-size pickups such as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra and large SUVs such as the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade carry far higher margins than small cars or current EVs.
Growth strategy
GM's growth strategy has shifted from an all-EV push to flexibility. It still sells EVs on its Ultium-based platforms, such as the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Cadillac Lyriq, but after 2025 it cut EV capacity, kept investing in gas trucks and SUVs, and plans lower-cost lithium manganese-rich (LMR) cells with LG Energy Solution.
Competitive advantage
GM's clearest advantage is scale in U.S. full-size pickups and SUVs: it has led the full-size pickup segment for six straight years, selling about 940,000 in 2025. That franchise, a national Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac dealer network, and GM Financial's captive lending give it cash flow and pricing power that newer EV-only rivals do not have.
Questions about BP vs General Motors
Which company has higher revenue — BP plc or General Motors Company?
BP plc reported $189.3B (FY2025), while General Motors Company reported $185.0B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, BP plc is the larger business, with General Motors Company reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of BP plc vs General Motors Company?
BP plc's market capitalisation stands at $112.2B, while General Motors Company's is $74.9B. BP plc carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to General Motors Company.
Which is more financially efficient — BP plc or General Motors Company?
BP plc generates $2.02M / employee in revenue per employee, while General Motors Company generates $1.19M / employee. BP plc shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do BP plc and General Motors Company make money?
BP plc and General Motors Company generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. BP plc: BP earns money at each stage of the oil and gas chain. General Motors Company: GM makes money mainly by building and wholesaling vehicles to its dealer network, then earning a second layer of profit through GM Financial, its captive lender.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — BP plc or General Motors Company?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, BP plc trades at 0.6x P/S and General Motors Company at 0.4x P/S. BP plc commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to General Motors Company. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is BP plc bigger than General Motors Company?
By last reported revenue, BP plc ($189.3B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to General Motors Company ($185.0B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BP vs General Motors overview