1.jpgRank: 1 (Previous rank: 2)
CEO: Michael T. Duke
Compare tool: Wal-Mart vs. Top 10
The mega-retailer knocked Exxon Mobil out of the top slot to rule the Fortune 500 again this year. Wal-Mart managed to lift revenues, on top of a big increase in 2008, by attracting bargain-hungry customers from competitors with remodeled stores and inexpensive private-label goods, offering everything from frozen pizza to patio furniture in one stop. A single trip also meant less spending on gas. Result: Profits surged a whopping 7% to $14.3 billion.
2. Exxon Mobil
Rank: 2 (Previous rank: 1)
CEO: Rex W. Tillerson
Compare tool: Exxon Mobil vs. Top 10
The oil giant made a big bet on the domestic natural gas market late last year buying Texas-based XTO Energy for $41 billion. But refining and exploration remain its backbone. The company drilled 45 new wells last year and hit pay dirt on nearly two-thirds of them.
Other big projects: new ventures in Qatar, the Black Sea, and Kazakhstan, including the giant Kashagan field located offshore in the Caspian Sea. With operations in nearly every corner of the planet, Exxon always seems to get a seat at the table when big projects arise. Maybe size does matter. --Peter Newcomb
3. Chevron
Rank: 3 (Previous rank: 3)
CEO: John S. Watson
Compare tool: Chevron vs. Top 10
With prices for crude oil and natural gas off sharply from their recent highs, revenue at the oil giant tumbled 37%, from $265 billion to $167 billion. The good news: Production of oil and gas jumped 7%, thanks in part to a 57% success rate on its exploratory drilling.
But another pitfall looms: Chevron has a heavy exposure to high-acid crude, particularly its deep-water projects in the U.K. If the government forces it to start processing the high-cost oil, Chevron may opt to cede its drilling rights, a move that would result in a sizeable charge against earnings. --P.N.
4. General Electric
Rank: 4 (Previous rank: 5)
CEO: Jeffrey R. Immelt
Compare tool: General Electric vs. Top 10
The house that Jack built ended 2009 by selling a controlling stake in its NBC Universal entertainment unit to Comcast, a deal that valued the new entity at $37 billion. Investors largely shrugged off the deal, but as concerns over its finance unit begin to fade -- and talk of a dividend increase start to heat up -- GE stock lately has been on a tear.
GE chief Jeffrey Immelt hopes to keep the momentum going. He's investing $6 billion to develop new medical products and technologies, and is making big bets on green technologies, from fuel-efficient turbines to "thin film" solar panels. --P.N.
5. Bank of America Corp
Rank: 5 (Previous rank: 11)
CEO: Brian T. Moynihan
Compare tool: Bank of America Corp. vs. Top 10
Say this about Bank of America chief Brian Moynihan: He certainly knows how to talk the talk. In his letter to shareholders, Moynihan went out of his way to thank U.S. taxpayers for making $45 billion in TARP funds available. He also described how he is working closely with "policy leaders" on financial reform.
Whether he can walk the walk -- i.e., turn around BofA's fortunes -- is another matter. While the company did repay its TARP loan in December, it is still sitting on billions of dollars of vulnerable residential andcommercial mortgage debt -- one reason the company spent 8,000 words discussing risk in its annual report. --P.N.
6. ConocoPhillips
Rank: 6 (Previous rank: 4)
CEO: James J. Mulva
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When Warren Buffett said he was "dead wrong" to invest in ConocoPhillips, Conoco chief James Mulva must have taken note. The Texas-based oil company -- the nation's third largest -- has been going to great lengths trying to shore up its balance sheet by selling assets, reducing debt, and reining in capital spending.
In March, Conoco said it would sell half of its 20% stake in Lukoil, a move that could raise $5 billion. Other potential sales: the company's 9% stake in its oil sands venture Syncrude and its 50% ownership in theFlying J truck stop chain. --P.N.
7. AT&T
Rank: 7 (Previous rank:
CEO: Randall L. Stephenson
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Ahh, the glamorous life of AT&T: best friends with Steve Jobs, exclusive rights to the iPhone (for now) and carrier of choice on the iPad. So why, with everything going for it, did the stock miss a huge rally? In the year ending April 1, Apple soared 109% and the S&P 500 rose 41%. AT&T? Down 2%.
The problem is growth, or lack thereof: little in its saturated wireless business and a decline in landlines, which still accounts for 25% of sales. Unless its high-speed Internet business takes off or the iPad drives new wireless growth, the beatings by Wall Street will continue. --Michael Copeland
8. Ford Motor
Rank: 8 (Previous rank: 7)
CEO: Alan R. Mulally
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In March, Ford completed its exit from the luxury car market by selling Volvo to China's Geely Automobile for $1.6 billion. Although the sale represents a sharp loss -- the company paid $6 billion for the Swedish automaker eleven years ago -- Ford posted an annual profit of $2.7 billion in 2009, its first profitable year since 2005.
Assisted by the "Cash for Clunkers" program (not to mention Toyota's accelerator woes), Ford recaptured its position as the nation's largest carmaker in February. Which is why Ford's CEO Alan Mulally can now look abroad, including big markets like India, where it recently introduced the compact Figo. --P.N.
9. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Rank: 9 (Previous rank: 16)
CEO: James Dimon
Compare tool: J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. vs. Top 10
CEO Jamie Dimon, who's been hailed as one of the banking industry's top leaders, called J.P. Morgan's annual results "mediocre." The industry must beg to differ. J.P. Morgan's revenue jumped in 2009 and profits more than doubled.
It's the latest proof that J.P. Morgan was the country's strongest bank through the financial crisis. Last year it raised capital for businesses when others couldn't; it was the top merger and acquisitions advisor; and it never posted a quarterly loss. --Scott Cendrowski
10. Hewlett-Packard
Rank: 10 (Previous rank: 9)
CEO: Mark V. Hurd
Compare tool: Hewlett-Packard vs. Top 10
As the biggest technology company by sales, HP now competes with every other IT shop that offers one-stop shopping for corporate buyers and consumers alike. IBM remains HP's biggest foe on the services front, while Oracle's purchase of server-maker Sun challenged HP on corporate hardware.
The company's pending acquisition of networking-gear manufacturer 3Com puts this Silicon Valley pioneer in the crosshairs of Cisco. Printers once accounted for the biggest chunk of HP's profits, but with size comes diversity: Services, software and computers are all making healthy bottom-line contributions now too. --Adam Lashinsky
11. Berkshire Hathaway