Fifteen Southern California companies are on the list of the Standard & Poor’s Global Challengers, which was released last week.

More than 300 companies from 32 countries in 10 different sectors made the list, which ranks the firms based on their high-growth potential. To determine the firms that Standard & Poor’s expects to emerge as challengers to the world’s leading blue chip companies, a “composite growth score” was compiled. Only companies with between $500 million and $5 billion in total market cap were considered, and growth in earnings per share and the number of employees were factors.

Of the Southland companies, Costa Mesa-based Ceradyne Inc., which makes products for defense, industrial and commercial use, was the highest-ranked, at No. 2. Corona-based fruit and energy drink maker Hansen Natural Corp. was No. 4. Woodland Hills-based Zenith National Insurance Group was No. 8 on the list.

Other L.A. County firms on the list included: Westlake-based semiconductor maker Diodes Inc., No. 51; Santa Monica’s Fremont General Corp., No. 62; L.A. office services outsource firm j2 Global Communications Inc., No. 67; Calabasas- software maker Ixia, No. 80.