So is the average company on the list vastly more profitable than it was in the sock-hop era? Not exactly. For most of the past 71 years, the combined profit margin of the 500 has fluctuated between 5% and 7% of revenue.
The other big difference: “Asset-light” tech and finance companies, which routinely generate margins of 30% or more, have become the backbone of the list, accounting for 53% of the 500’s profits this year. Those industries are the two towers that loom over the business skyline in this data visualization.
