The BusinessWeek 50

With world oil prices high, the energy sector’s strong showing in this year’s ranking of the BusinessWeek 50 comes as no surprise. But a host of companies—from Apple to Staples—have scored big by using technology, design, or clever marketing to build intense customer loyalty

1	Apple Computer
2	WellPoint
3	Caremark Rx
4	UnitedHealth Group
5	Schlumberger
6	Occidental Petroleum
7	Halliburton
8	Qualcomm
9	Amgen
10	Aetna
11	Lowe's
12	Burlington Northern Santa Fe
13	Motorola
14	Yahoo!
15	Goldman Sachs Group
16	Lehman Brothers Holdings
17	Gilead Sciences
18	Jabil Circuit
19	Best Buy
20	EMC
21	Baker Hughes
22	Texas Instruments
23	Cisco Systems
24	Starbucks
25	Intel
26	D. R. Horton
27	National Oilwell Varco
28	JPMorgan Chase
29	Merrill Lynch
30	Valero Energy
31	ConocoPhillips
32	Marathon Oil
33	Prudential Financial
34	Microsoft
35	Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
36	Weatherford International
37	eBay
38	Coventry Health Care
39	CVS
40	FedEx
41	Franklin Resources
42	Lennar
43	Coach
44	Staples
45	NVIDIA
46	Norfolk Southern
47	Caterpillar
48	McKesson
49	Hartford Financial Services Group
50	Home Depot

Data: Standard & Poor's Compustat

Six Sigma Still Pays Off at Motorola

The company is thriving, with a culture that lets left-brain and right-brain types coexist

To See Where Tech Is Headed, Watch TI

Intel is the Big Kahuna now, but Texas Instruments is all over the digital future

Horton Hears a Boo

The homebuilder's stock takes a hit

Why Conoco Still Gets No Respect

Its bets on higher energy costs are giving investors pause

Profiles of the BusinessWeek 50

Start here for in-depth information about this year's top performers. On each page you'll find a corporate snapshot, vital investing info, data about the CEO, and links to drill deeper in each category

The Best Performers 2006

With oil prices high, energy's strength comes as no surprise. But many other companies have scored by building intense customer loyalty

Graphic: The BusinessWeek 50

Chart: Evolution: The 50 Through The Years

Graphic: Earnings

Graphic: Total Returns

Graphic: Sales Growth

Graphic: Net Margin

Graphic: Long-Term Earnings Growth

Methodology: How We Measured the Top 50

Apple Computer

iPods, sure. But don't go dissing Macs

Schlumberger

Free-flowing technology

Online Extra: Serving an Aging Nation

UnitedHealth is betting on expanded coverage for the elderly and fast-growing niche businesses

Goldman Sachs

White-hot, and streaking ahead

Horton And Lennar

More than one way to build a home

FedEx

Taking off like "a rocket ship"

Top Prospects

Graphic: Portfolio Picks From The BusinessWeek 50

Online Extra: Inside The Ranking (.pdf)

Online Extra: Interactive Scoreboard: The Top Performers of the S&P 500

Online Extra: Interactive Scoreboard: The Top Performers of the Mid-Cap 400

Online Extra: Interactive Scoreboard: The Top Performers of the Small-Cap 600