Fortune magazine
is a financial and industry publication that examines financial growth, market trends, investment, expansion and new technologies within the public and private sectors. The Fortune 500 are the 500 largest public corporations in America. Each year the magazine aims to rank corporations and make identifying financial and business leaders in the corporate world easier for investors, consumers and employees. After nearly five decades of publishing the list, the Fortune 500 remains one of the leading barometers for business success for corporations in America.
Considerations
Innovation, advances in technology, and/or having an in-demand product or service can all lead to advances in revenue. While various factors can influence how far-reaching those revenues are, these are important ingredients when building a Fortune 500 company.
Function
Fortune magazine ranks all companies based on performance. That rank is assigned independent of all factors excluding after-tax revenue.
Requirements
To be a Fortune 500 company, the company must be a public corporation. Beyond gross revenue earned for the year, there are no other eligibility requirements.
Misconceptions
A company need not submit an application or request placement on the list. Fortune magazine annually lists and ranks the top 500 companies without a formal application or request process.
Geography
The Fortune 500 list is composed of 500 companies and is limited to American businesses only; however, the Fortune Global 500 covers international firms.
Tags: Fortune magazine, application request, corporations America, Fortune company, list Fortune, ranks companies