Companies · Puzzle #20 · Monday, October 19
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
- Sales per employee: 2 pts per doubling over $60K a head, last year
- Sales: 1.5 pts per doubling over $1.5B, last year
- Assets: 1.5 pts per doubling over $3B, at year end
- On the Nasdaq: 10 pts if listed on the Nasdaq
- Buybacks: 1 pt per doubling over $10M, last year
- Dividends: 1 pt per doubling over $5M, last year
- Growth: 1 pt per 2.5% sales growth, last year
- Cash on hand: 1.5 pts per doubling over $200M, 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
CVS Health
Pharmacies, Aetna insurance and Caremark
CVS Health's best fit on this board was Sales, worth 10.0: $402.1B in sales in the year to December 2025. Its weakest was On the Nasdaq, worth 0.0, since it trades on the NYSE.
- Sales per employee
- $1.34M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (9.0) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- Sales
- $402.1B in sales in the year to December 2025 (10.0) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- Assets
- $253.5B in assets at the end of December 2025 (9.6) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- Buybacks
- no buybacks in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- Dividends
- $3.4B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (9.4) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- Growth
- sales up 7.8% in the year to December 2025 (3.1) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
- Cash on hand
- $8.5B in cash at the end of December 2025 (8.1) Source: CVS HEALTH Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-10
BlackRock
Investment manager behind iShares funds
BlackRock's best fit on this board was Dividends, worth 9.4: $3.3B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025. Its weakest was On the Nasdaq, worth 0.0, since it trades on the NYSE.
- Sales per employee
- $973K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (8.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Sales
- $24.2B in sales in the year to December 2025 (6.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Assets
- $170.0B in assets at the end of December 2025 (8.7) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Buybacks
- $1.5B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (7.2) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Dividends
- $3.3B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (9.4) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Growth
- sales up 18.7% in the year to December 2025 (7.5) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Cash on hand
- $11.5B in cash at the end of December 2025 (8.8) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
D.R. Horton
Homebuilder
D.R. Horton's best fit on this board was Sales per employee, worth 10.0: $2.39M in sales per employee in the year to September 2025. Its weakest was On the Nasdaq, worth 0.0, since it trades on the NYSE.
- Sales per employee
- $2.39M in sales per employee in the year to September 2025 (10.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Sales
- $34.3B in sales in the year to September 2025 (6.8) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Assets
- $35.5B in assets at the end of September 2025 (5.3) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Buybacks
- $4.3B of its own stock bought back in the year to September 2025 (8.7) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Dividends
- $495M paid in dividends in the year to September 2025 (6.6) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Growth
- sales down 6.9% in the year to September 2025 (0.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Cash on hand
- $3.0B in cash at the end of September 2025 (5.8) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
Prudential
Life insurance and retirement plans
Prudential's best fit on this board was Assets, worth 10.0: $773.7B in assets at the end of December 2025. Its weakest was On the Nasdaq, worth 0.0, since it trades on the NYSE.
- Sales per employee
- $1.65M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (9.6) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Sales
- $60.8B in sales in the year to December 2025 (8.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Assets
- $773.7B in assets at the end of December 2025 (10.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Buybacks
- $1.0B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (6.6) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Dividends
- $1.9B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (8.6) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Growth
- sales down 13.7% in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Cash on hand
- $19.7B in cash at the end of December 2025 (9.9) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
Duolingo
Language-learning app with the green owl
On this board Duolingo scored best in On the Nasdaq (10.0): it trades on the Nasdaq. Sales was its weakest fit (0.0): $1.0B in sales in the year to December 2025.
- Sales per employee
- $1.15M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (8.5) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Sales
- $1.0B in sales in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Assets
- $2.0B in assets at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the Nasdaq (10.0) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Buybacks
- no buybacks in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Growth
- sales up 38.7% in the year to December 2025 (10.0) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Cash on hand
- $1.0B in cash at the end of December 2025 (3.6) Source: Duolingo, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
Intuit
TurboTax, QuickBooks and Credit Karma
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
News Corp
The Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins books
On this board News Corp scored best in On the Nasdaq (10.0): it trades on the Nasdaq. Growth was its weakest fit (2.7): sales up 6.8% in the year to June 2026.
- Sales per employee
- $416K in sales per employee in the year to June 2026 (5.6) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Sales
- $9.0B in sales in the year to June 2026 (3.9) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Assets
- $15.5B in assets at the end of June 2026 (3.6) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the Nasdaq (10.0) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Buybacks
- $641M of its own stock bought back in the year to June 2026 (6.0) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Dividends
- $204M paid in dividends in the year to June 2026 (5.4) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Growth
- sales up 6.8% in the year to June 2026 (2.7) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
- Cash on hand
- $2.1B in cash at the end of June 2026 (5.1) Source: NEWS CORP 10-K, filed 2026-08-07
Procter & Gamble
Tide, Pampers, Gillette and other household brands
On this board Procter & Gamble scored best in Dividends (10.0): $10.2B paid in dividends in the year to June 2026. On the Nasdaq was its weakest fit (0.0): it trades on the NYSE.
- Sales per employee
- $837K in sales per employee in the year to June 2026 (7.6) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- Sales
- $87.0B in sales in the year to June 2026 (8.8) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- Assets
- $126.5B in assets at the end of June 2026 (8.1) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- Buybacks
- $5.0B of its own stock bought back in the year to June 2026 (9.0) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- Dividends
- $10.2B paid in dividends in the year to June 2026 (10.0) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- Growth
- sales up 3.3% in the year to June 2026 (1.3) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04
- Cash on hand
- $9.9B in cash at the end of June 2026 (8.5) Source: PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 10-K, filed 2026-08-04