Tracking The Stars

When we created the Business Week 50 in 1997, we set out to devise a ranking that measures corporate performance in the smartest possible way. We wanted to go well beyond other lists based on total revenues or market capitalization. So we rewarded growth and consistency by looking at both one-year and three-year results, and we leveled the playing field by adjusting for sales volume.

Our purpose was twofold. First, we wanted to provide a useful management tool for our readers. By identifying the top-performing companies and figuring out how they made it to the head of the class, we could provide executives in every industry with important benchmarks. Second, we believed that a performance-oriented top 50 would provide a valuable investment tool that might help our readers identify companies that consistently deliver the goods.