Companies · Puzzle #19 · Sunday, October 18
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
- Profit margin: 1 pt per 3% margin, last year
- Off-calendar year: 10 pts if its year ends off December
- Sales per employee: 2 pts per doubling over $60K a head, last year
- Buybacks: 1 pt per doubling over $10M, last year
- Workforce: 1.5 pts per doubling over 2,500 staff, at year end
- Heritage: 1 pt per 15 years old
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
BJ's Wholesale
Membership warehouse clubs
BJ's Wholesale's best fit on this board was Off-calendar year, worth 10.0: its fiscal year ends in January. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in Marlborough, MA.
- Growth
- sales up 4.7% in the year to January 2026 (1.9) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- California HQ
- headquartered in Marlborough, MA (0.0) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- Profit margin
- a 2.7% profit margin in the year to January 2026 (0.9) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in January (10.0) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- Sales per employee
- $613K in sales per employee in the year to January 2026 (6.7) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- Buybacks
- $287M of its own stock bought back in the year to January 2026 (4.8) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- Workforce
- 35,000 employees at the end of January 2026 (5.7) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
- Heritage
- founded in 1984, 42 years ago (2.8) Source: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-03-12
Stanley Black & Decker
Power tools and hand tools, including DeWalt
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Sirius XM
Satellite radio, plus Pandora
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Union Pacific
Freight railroad
Union Pacific's best fit on this board was Profit margin, worth 9.7: a 29.1% profit margin in the year to December 2025. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in Omaha, NE.
- Growth
- sales up 1.1% in the year to December 2025 (0.4) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- California HQ
- headquartered in Omaha, NE (0.0) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Profit margin
- a 29.1% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.7) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Sales per employee
- $837K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (7.6) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Buybacks
- $2.7B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (8.1) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Workforce
- 29,287 employees at the end of December 2025 (5.3) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
- Heritage
- founded in 1969, 57 years ago (3.8) Source: UNION PACIFIC CORP 10-K, filed 2026-02-06
SoFi
Online bank for loans, savings and investing
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Charter (Spectrum)
Spectrum cable and internet
On this board Charter (Spectrum) scored best in Buybacks (9.0): $5.1B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025. Growth was its weakest fit (0.0): sales down 0.6% in the year to December 2025.
- Growth
- sales down 0.6% in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- California HQ
- headquartered in Stamford, CT (0.0) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- Profit margin
- a 9.1% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (3.0) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- Sales per employee
- $596K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (6.6) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- Buybacks
- $5.1B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (9.0) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- Workforce
- 91,900 employees at the end of December 2025 (7.8) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
- Heritage
- founded in 1993, 33 years ago (2.2) Source: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 10-K, filed 2026-01-30
Hilton
Hotels, including Hampton and DoubleTree
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Clorox
Bleach, Glad bags and Kingsford charcoal
On this board Clorox scored best in California HQ (10.0): headquartered in Oakland, CA. Growth was its weakest fit (0.0): sales down 5.4% in the year to June 2026.
- Growth
- sales down 5.4% in the year to June 2026 (0.0) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- California HQ
- headquartered in Oakland, CA (10.0) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Profit margin
- a 8.7% profit margin in the year to June 2026 (2.9) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in June (10.0) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Sales per employee
- $730K in sales per employee in the year to June 2026 (7.2) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Buybacks
- $256M of its own stock bought back in the year to June 2026 (4.7) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Workforce
- 9,200 employees at the end of June 2026 (2.8) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Heritage
- founded in 1913, 113 years ago (7.5) Source: CLOROX CO /DE/ 10-K, filed 2026-08-07