Companies · Puzzle #18 · Saturday, October 17
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
- California HQ: 10 pts if based in California
- Off-calendar year: 10 pts if its year ends off December
- Heritage: 1 pt per 15 years old
- Profit margin: 1 pt per 3% margin, last year
- Cash on hand: 1.5 pts per doubling over $200M, at year end
- Dividends: 1 pt per doubling over $5M, last year
- Sales per employee: 2 pts per doubling over $60K a head, last year
- Sales: 1.5 pts per doubling over $1.5B, last year
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
General Mills
Cheerios, Pillsbury and Blue Buffalo pet food
On this board General Mills scored best in Off-calendar year (10.0): its fiscal year ends in May. California HQ was its weakest fit (0.0): headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Minneapolis, MN (0.0) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in May (10.0) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Heritage
- founded in 1856, 170 years ago (10.0) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Profit margin
- a loss of 0.5% of sales in the year to May 2026 (0.0) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Cash on hand
- $454M in cash at the end of May 2026 (1.8) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Dividends
- $1.3B paid in dividends in the year to May 2026 (8.0) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Sales per employee
- $614K in sales per employee in the year to May 2026 (6.7) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
- Sales
- $18.4B in sales in the year to May 2026 (5.4) Source: GENERAL MILLS INC 10-K, filed 2026-07-01
Texas Instruments
Analog chips and graphing calculators
On this board Texas Instruments scored best in Dividends (10.0): $5.0B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025. California HQ was its weakest fit (0.0): headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Dallas, TX (0.0) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Heritage
- founded in 1930, 96 years ago (6.4) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Profit margin
- a 28.3% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.4) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Cash on hand
- $3.2B in cash at the end of December 2025 (6.0) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Dividends
- $5.0B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (10.0) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Sales per employee
- $536K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (6.3) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Sales
- $17.7B in sales in the year to December 2025 (5.3) Source: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
Travelers
Property and business insurance
Travelers's best fit on this board was Heritage, worth 10.0: founded in 1853, 173 years ago. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in Saint Paul, MN.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Saint Paul, MN (0.0) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Heritage
- founded in 1853, 173 years ago (10.0) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Profit margin
- a 12.9% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (4.3) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Cash on hand
- $842M in cash at the end of December 2025 (3.1) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Dividends
- $979M paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (7.6) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Sales per employee
- $1.44M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (9.2) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Sales
- $48.8B in sales in the year to December 2025 (7.5) Source: TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
Constellation Energy
Nuclear power plants
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
HP
Laptops, desktops and printers
HP's best fit on this board was California HQ, worth 10.0: headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. Its weakest was Profit margin, worth 1.5: a 4.6% profit margin in the year to October 2025.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Palo Alto, CA (10.0) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in October (10.0) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Heritage
- founded in 1939, 87 years ago (5.8) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Profit margin
- a 4.6% profit margin in the year to October 2025 (1.5) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Cash on hand
- $3.7B in cash at the end of October 2025 (6.3) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Dividends
- $1.1B paid in dividends in the year to October 2025 (7.8) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Sales per employee
- $1.00M in sales per employee in the year to October 2025 (8.1) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
- Sales
- $55.3B in sales in the year to October 2025 (7.8) Source: HP INC 10-K, filed 2025-12-10
Intuitive Surgical
Da Vinci surgical robots
On this board Intuitive Surgical scored best in California HQ (10.0): headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Off-calendar year was its weakest fit (0.0): its fiscal year ends in December.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA (10.0) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Heritage
- founded in 1995, 31 years ago (2.1) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Profit margin
- a 28.4% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.5) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Cash on hand
- $3.4B in cash at the end of December 2025 (6.1) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Sales per employee
- $591K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (6.6) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Sales
- $10.1B in sales in the year to December 2025 (4.1) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
FedEx
Package and express delivery
FedEx's best fit on this board was Off-calendar year, worth 10.0: its fiscal year ends in May. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in Memphis, TN.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Memphis, TN (0.0) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in May (10.0) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Heritage
- founded in 1971, 55 years ago (3.7) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Profit margin
- a 4.7% profit margin in the year to May 2026 (1.6) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Cash on hand
- $13.3B in cash at the end of May 2026 (9.1) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Dividends
- $1.4B paid in dividends in the year to May 2026 (8.1) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Sales per employee
- $179K in sales per employee in the year to May 2026 (3.2) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
- Sales
- $94.7B in sales in the year to May 2026 (9.0) Source: FEDEX CORP 10-K, filed 2026-07-20
Booking Holdings
Booking.com, Priceline and Kayak
On this board Booking Holdings scored best in Cash on hand (9.6): $17.2B in cash at the end of December 2025. California HQ was its weakest fit (0.0): headquartered in Norwalk, CT.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Norwalk, CT (0.0) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Heritage
- founded in 1997, 29 years ago (1.9) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Profit margin
- a 20.1% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (6.7) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Cash on hand
- $17.2B in cash at the end of December 2025 (9.6) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Dividends
- $1.2B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (8.0) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Sales per employee
- $1.11M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (8.4) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18
- Sales
- $26.9B in sales in the year to December 2025 (6.2) Source: Booking Holdings Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-18