Companies · Puzzle #17 · Friday, October 16
Companies: the board
Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Companies.
The categories
- Growth: 1 pt per 2.5% sales growth, last year
- California HQ: 10 pts if based in California
- Dividends: 1 pt per doubling over $5M, last year
- Profit margin: 1 pt per 3% margin, last year
- Heritage: 1 pt per 15 years old
- Inventory: 1.5 pts per doubling over $100M, at year end
- Sales per employee: 2 pts per doubling over $60K a head, last year
- Assets: 1.5 pts per doubling over $3B, at year end
The best board
The best board is hidden while some of these items are still in play: they're on a board again within 14 days.
The lineup, figure by figure
Kimberly-Clark
Kleenex, Huggies and Cottonelle
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Enphase Energy
Solar power electronics
Enphase Energy's best fit on this board was California HQ, worth 10.0: headquartered in Fremont, CA. Its weakest was Dividends, worth 0.0: no dividends in the year to December 2025.
- Growth
- sales up 10.7% in the year to December 2025 (4.3) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- California HQ
- headquartered in Fremont, CA (10.0) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- Profit margin
- a 11.7% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (3.9) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- Heritage
- founded in 2006, 20 years ago (1.3) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- Inventory
- $288M of inventory at the end of December 2025 (2.3) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- Sales per employee
- $513K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (6.2) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
- Assets
- $3.5B in assets at the end of December 2025 (0.3) Source: Enphase Energy, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-17
Dutch Bros
Drive-thru coffee chain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Ally Financial
Online bank and car loans
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
S&P Global
Credit ratings and stock market indexes
S&P Global's best fit on this board was Heritage, worth 10.0: founded in 1860, 166 years ago. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in New York, NY.
- Growth
- sales up 7.9% in the year to December 2025 (3.2) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- California HQ
- headquartered in New York, NY (0.0) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- Dividends
- $1.2B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (7.9) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- Profit margin
- a 29.1% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.7) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- Heritage
- founded in 1860, 166 years ago (10.0) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- Inventory
- no inventory at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- Sales per employee
- $345K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (5.0) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
- Assets
- $61.2B in assets at the end of December 2025 (6.5) Source: S&P Global Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-11
Celsius
Fitness energy drinks
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Nike
Sneakers and sportswear
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Cisco
Networking gear that runs the internet
On this board Cisco scored best in California HQ (10.0): headquartered in San Jose, CA. Heritage was its weakest fit (2.8): founded in 1984, 42 years ago.
- Growth
- sales up 11.8% in the year to July 2026 (4.7) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- California HQ
- headquartered in San Jose, CA (10.0) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- Dividends
- $6.6B paid in dividends in the year to July 2026 (10.0) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- Profit margin
- a 20.9% profit margin in the year to July 2026 (7.0) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- Heritage
- founded in 1984, 42 years ago (2.8) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- Inventory
- $5.7B of inventory at the end of July 2026 (8.7) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- Sales per employee
- $769K in sales per employee in the year to July 2026 (7.4) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02
- Assets
- $129.6B in assets at the end of July 2026 (8.2) Source: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-09-02