In a state like California or Texas, these companies tend to be gargantuan in size even from a national or international perspective. Apple ($216 billion) and ExxonMobil ($226 billion) are two prime examples, and they are obviously giant companies by almost any measure. In other states, the largest company by revenue may fly more under the radar, or be known only on a regional basis. Sometimes these are actually the most interesting types of companies to learn more about.
What’s the largest company in every state?
Today’s infographic comes to us from HowMuch.net and it shows the largest company in every state by revenue, based on 2017 data. To start, here’s a list of the top 10 companies, and their respective states: Walmart, which is also the top private employer in many states, had a whopping $486 billion of revenue. That’s more than double the amount done by each of the next few giant companies, including ExxonMobil, Berkshire Hathaway, and Apple. While most of the “big” states like California, New York, and Texas are represented in the top 10, it’s worth noting that Arkansas (Walmart), Rhode Island (CVS), Minnesota (UnitedHealth Group), and Nebraska (Berkshire Hathaway) are outliers in that context. Further, some of the country’s most populous and economically successful states don’t have a company on the top 10 list. Florida’s top company (Publix) brings in $34 billion per year, and the largest company in Illinois (Walgreens Boots Alliance) posted $117 billion – which puts it just off the list. Ohio and New Jersey are two other big name states that also don’t appear there.
Under the Radar
Well-known companies and states aside, some of the most interesting companies on the list are the ones that are lesser known. Sanderson Farms, for example, brings in $3 billion of revenue to make it the largest company by revenue in Mississippi. It’s the only Fortune 1000 company in the state, and it’s also the third largest poultry producer in the United States. Each week, Sanderson Farms produces 9.375 million chickens. In Florida, Publix is a big deal. It’s a supermarket chain with over 1,000 stores (mostly in Florida and Georgia), and it brings in $34 billion of revenue per year. Interestingly, Publix is considered the largest employee-owned company in the world. Appropriately, Nevada’s largest company by revenue is Las Vegas Sands – the company that owns The Venetian and The Palazzo on the Vegas strip. It also has properties in Macau, China, Singapore, and Pennsylvania. on Last year, stock and bond returns tumbled after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates at the fastest speed in 40 years. It was the first time in decades that both asset classes posted negative annual investment returns in tandem. Over four decades, this has happened 2.4% of the time across any 12-month rolling period. To look at how various stock and bond asset allocations have performed over history—and their broader correlations—the above graphic charts their best, worst, and average returns, using data from Vanguard.
How Has Asset Allocation Impacted Returns?
Based on data between 1926 and 2019, the table below looks at the spectrum of market returns of different asset allocations:
We can see that a portfolio made entirely of stocks returned 10.3% on average, the highest across all asset allocations. Of course, this came with wider return variance, hitting an annual low of -43% and a high of 54%.
A traditional 60/40 portfolio—which has lost its luster in recent years as low interest rates have led to lower bond returns—saw an average historical return of 8.8%. As interest rates have climbed in recent years, this may widen its appeal once again as bond returns may rise.
Meanwhile, a 100% bond portfolio averaged 5.3% in annual returns over the period. Bonds typically serve as a hedge against portfolio losses thanks to their typically negative historical correlation to stocks.
A Closer Look at Historical Correlations
To understand how 2022 was an outlier in terms of asset correlations we can look at the graphic below:
The last time stocks and bonds moved together in a negative direction was in 1969. At the time, inflation was accelerating and the Fed was hiking interest rates to cool rising costs. In fact, historically, when inflation surges, stocks and bonds have often moved in similar directions. Underscoring this divergence is real interest rate volatility. When real interest rates are a driving force in the market, as we have seen in the last year, it hurts both stock and bond returns. This is because higher interest rates can reduce the future cash flows of these investments. Adding another layer is the level of risk appetite among investors. When the economic outlook is uncertain and interest rate volatility is high, investors are more likely to take risk off their portfolios and demand higher returns for taking on higher risk. This can push down equity and bond prices. On the other hand, if the economic outlook is positive, investors may be willing to take on more risk, in turn potentially boosting equity prices.
Current Investment Returns in Context
Today, financial markets are seeing sharp swings as the ripple effects of higher interest rates are sinking in. For investors, historical data provides insight on long-term asset allocation trends. Over the last century, cycles of high interest rates have come and gone. Both equity and bond investment returns have been resilient for investors who stay the course.
