Most profitable US companies
Net income is what is left for shareholders after every cost, interest payment and tax in the latest fiscal year. Microsoft Corporation leads with $133.7bn in fiscal 2026. The top 100 of 2,435 companies with a figure on file.
Would buying this list have paid?
Buying the top 100 companies by net income, as the list stood each quarter since March 31, 2010, would have returned +13.8% a year against +14.0% for the S&P 500. No: it trailed the S&P 500 bought and held.
| Return a year | Typical yearly swing | Sharpe ratio | Biggest drop | Moves with market (beta) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 by net income | +13.8% | 14.6% | 0.87 | -24.7% | 0.92 |
| S&P 500, buy and hold | +14.0% | 15.1% | 0.87 | -23.9% | 1.00 |
- Ahead of the S&P 500 in 45.5% of 66 quarters.
- Extra return after allowing for market risk (alpha): +0.8% a year No reliable evidence t = 0.64
- Against the S&P 500: +1.2% a year in 2010–2017, −1.6% in 2018–2026.
More rankings
- Largest US companies by revenue
- US companies with the most free cash flow
- Fastest-growing large US companies
- US companies with the highest profit margins
- US companies with the highest return on equity
- Biggest share buybacks by US companies
- Biggest dividend payers in the US
- US companies raising their dividend every year
- Largest US employers
- US companies with the most cash
- US companies with the most debt
- Biggest R&D spenders in the US
- Companies by sector and industry