Companies · Puzzle #22 · Wednesday, October 21
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
- Workforce: 1.5 pts per doubling over 2,500 staff, at year end
- Profit margin: 1 pt per 3% margin, last year
- Dividends: 1 pt per doubling over $5M, last year
- Assets: 1.5 pts per doubling over $3B, at year end
- Profit: 1.5 pts per doubling over $150M, last year
- California HQ: 10 pts if based in California
- Cash on hand: 1.5 pts per doubling over $200M, at year end
- Buybacks: 1 pt per doubling over $10M, 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
Zoetis
Medicines and vaccines for pets and livestock
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
MetLife
Life insurance
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
JPMorgan Chase
Bank behind Chase cards and branches
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
3M
Post-it notes, Scotch tape and industrial materials
3M's best fit on this board was Dividends, worth 8.3: $1.6B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in St. Paul, MN.
- Workforce
- 60,500 employees at the end of December 2025 (6.9) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Profit margin
- a 13.0% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (4.3) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Dividends
- $1.6B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (8.3) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Assets
- $37.7B in assets at the end of December 2025 (5.5) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Profit
- $3.3B profit in the year to December 2025 (6.7) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- California HQ
- headquartered in St. Paul, MN (0.0) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Cash on hand
- $5.2B in cash at the end of December 2025 (7.1) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Buybacks
- $3.3B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (8.3) Source: 3M CO 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
Starbucks
Coffeehouse chain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Sweetgreen
Salad chain
On this board Sweetgreen scored best in California HQ (10.0): headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Profit margin was its weakest fit (0.0): a loss of 19.7% of sales in the year to December 2025.
- Workforce
- 6,486 employees at the end of December 2025 (2.1) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Profit margin
- a loss of 19.7% of sales in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Assets
- $788M in assets at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Profit
- a $134M loss in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- California HQ
- headquartered in Los Angeles, CA (10.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Cash on hand
- $89M in cash at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
- Buybacks
- no buybacks in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: Sweetgreen, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-27
Meta
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Coca-Cola
Coke, Sprite and other drinks
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.